BCCI Called To Stop IPL Madness

BCCI called to stop IPL madness [Source: AFP, AP]

The IPL 2026 has witnessed two consecutive high-scoring face-offs, with RCB, SRH, Mumbai Indians and KKR enjoying stellar success on batting-friendly decks. Both matches witnessed 200-plus totals by the teams, with the chasing sides securing comfortable victories. 

Led by Rajat Patidar, RCB had a fabulous start to the season, defeating SRH by six wickets in the first match of the season. On a similar note, the Mumbai Indians steamrolled KKR in the subsequent affair, making the most of the home advantage at the Wankhede Stadium. 

Amid the batters' dominance in the tournament, the BCCI has been called to stop the IPL madness right after two matches of the group stage. 

IPL pitches spark controversy as batters rule the roost

The first match between RCB and SRH was a high-scoring face-off, as the Royal Challengers showcased their dominance by chasing a daunting target of 202 runs. 

While Ishan Kishan smashed a 38-ball 80 for the Sunrisers, the Royal Challengers made a mockery of the target, with Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal scoring flamboyant half-centuries. 

The case was no different in the subsequent IPL 2026 match at the Wankhede Stadium. Batting first, the Kolkata Knight Riders posted a monumental total of 220 runs, riding on Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi's batting wizardry. 

Also read: Ajinkya Rahane-Finn Allen Powerplay Mayhem Lead KKR To Historic IPL Record Vs Mumbai Indians

However, the target turned out to be insufficient for MI, as their star-studded batting unit chased it with five balls to spare. While Rohit Sharma hammered 78 runs off just 38 deliveries, Ryan Rickelton starred with the bat, scoring 81 runs with the help of eight sixes. 

Considering the batting sides breached the 200-run mark in four consecutive attempts, questions were raised about the quality of the pitches dished out by the BCCI in the tournament. 

Reputed South African cricketer Tabraiz Shamsi also joined the bandwagon, asking the BCCI to ensure fairness and stop the IPL madness. 

Tabraiz Shamsi demands fair contest in IPL 2026

After the Mumbai Indians chased down a huge target against KKR, Tabraiz Shamsi took to his official account on the social media platform X, raising concerns about the quality of pitches in the IPL. 

He argued that the batting-friendly tracks don't allow several world-class bowlers to exhibit their skills at the highest level. 

The South African spinner also reckoned that the IPL matches lack a fair contest between bat and ball, urging the BCCI to offer something to the bowlers in order to restore the entertainment factor. 

Tabraiz Shamsi

@shamsi90

Sooo is it still entertaining watching QUALITY BOWLERS getting smacked all around the park in these high scoring games? These are high class bowlers not being allowed 2 showcase their skills coz the odds are so heavily stacked against them Make fair pitches plz #StopTheMadness

"Sooo is it still entertaining watching QUALITY BOWLERS getting smacked all around the park in these high scoring games? These are high class bowlers not being allowed 2 showcase their skills coz the odds are so heavily stacked against them. Make fair pitches plz. #StopTheMadness," Shamsi posted on X. 

Quality of cricket suffers as commercialisation takes over

Earlier, the cricket pitches used to offer a balanced contest between bat and ball. The game has witnessed several legendary fast bowlers, including Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath and Curtly Ambrose, who made batters dance to their tunes. 

However, as cricket became insanely popular across continents, especially in Asia, the administrators brought radical changes to the game in the name of commercialisation. 

Their side of the story argues that it's necessary to produce flat pitches from the financial perspective, as the modern-day audience can be glued to the game only through high-scoring clashes. 

Although it has helped the modern-day bowlers evolve and add deceptive weapons such as the cutters and slow balls to their arsenal, the basics in the cricketing manual, including the reverse swing, have gone for a toss since the playing conditions have been amended. 

Thus, the quality of cricket continues to suffer, with batters ruling the roost primarily with power-hitting, unlike their predecessors, who kept technique and orthodoxy over blind-slogging. 

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