South African star Dale Steyn believes the new two-bouncers-per-over regulation would have a significant influence on the next IPL 2024.
Despite being a weapon, the bouncer is limited to one per over in global T20s and T20Is. However, in the 2024 IPL season, bowlers would have the option of delivering two bouncers every over.
Dale Steyn told ESPNcricinfo that the second bouncer in an over makes the yorker a more devastating weapon.
“A bouncer and a yorker go hand in hand. If you get [the one] bouncer out of the way too early in the over, the next ball that immediately comes to your mind is the yorker, because now the batter knows you can’t bowl a length ball and he is not expecting anything short. Everything is now going to be in his half.”
Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn also demonstrated how the bouncer may discourage batsmen more effectively than a yorker.
“I know a lot of [batters] fear the yorker a little bit. But if you are bowling yorkers to batters like [MS] Dhoni, [Jos] Buttler, and Surya [Yadav], they are able to access parts of the field where there is no fielder If you are bowling a yorker, the ball can go anywhere. If you don’t execute it well, Dhoni hits you for a six-over long-on. You can bowl a perfect yorker and you can still get hit for a boundary over fine leg.”
“Whereas with a bouncer, setting the field is much easier to control: you know the shot is potentially going to third man, deep square, fine leg. There are not many guys who can hit a bouncer over long-off or long-on – the percentages of that happening are extremely low.”
Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn participated in the IPL from its inception in 2008 to 2020, taking 97 wickets in 95 games.
He was the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) bowling coach in 2022 and 2023 until leaving out for personal reasons this year.
“I can package my over better now” – Harshal Patel on the two-bouncer rule
Harshal Patel, the Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) newest addition, believes the new two-bouncer regulation would help bowlers package their overs more effectively.
After three seasons with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the 33-year-old was bought by PBKS for a record ₹11.75 crore at the IPL 2024 auction.
When asked about the effects of the two-bouncer rule, Harshal informed ESPNcricinfo:
“It is a huge, huge advantage. The biggest advantage is, you can bowl them at any point in an over – as opposed to [having to think of] when is the best, when we had just one bouncer an over. You can now go really hard early on: bowl a bouncer very first ball or second ball, then bowl a couple of length deliveries, then go defensive and close off the over. The more options you have, the better as a bowler. I can package my over better now.”
“You need to be very good with line: you want to be somewhere around the left ear or left shoulder because that is the blind spot and batters don’t have control. Because when you try to hook and when the ball rushes on to you or comes a little slower, you end up gloving.”
Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel was IPL 2021’s Purple Cap winner. He took an astonishing 32 wickets in just 15 matches, a remarkable feat.
But last season, Patel’s form slumped worryingly. The pacer managed a meager 14 wickets across 13 games. Alarmingly, his economy rate soared above 9.60.