Spinners fall way behind as pacers call the shots

This IPL season has been dominated by explosive batting displays and relentless scoring rates. Totals beyond 200 have become increasingly common, while teams chasing such targets are doing so with remarkable ease. In Delhi Capitals’ three-wicket win over Punjab Kings at Dharmashala, the latter posted 210 for five only for the former to chase it down with an over to spare.

Yet, amid all the batting carnage, one detail stood out — frontline spinners Axar Patel (DC) and Yuzvendra Chahal (PBKS) did not bowl. Later, the captains Shreyas Iyer and Axar clarified that the conditions aided the pacers. In fact all 39 overs of the match was bowled by the fast bowlers.

This was only the second time in which not a single over of spin was used in an IPL game. The Royal Challengers Bangalore-Chennai Super Kings match at Bengaluru in the inaugural edition in 2008 was the first instance.

Sunrisers Hyderabad was the last team to not use spin at all when it bowled 20 overs of pace against RCB at Hyderabad in IPL 2016 — a rare tactical move at the time, but one that now appears increasingly relevant in the modern T20 game.

The Purple Cap standings this season further underline the shift. Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans) and Sunil Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders) are the only two spinners in the top 10 wicket-takers’ list, highlighting the growing dominance of pacers. In IPL 2025, four spinners occupied places in the top 10, while spin accounted for nearly 36% of the wickets. This season, that figure has dropped to around 31%.

The decline is also visible in workload. Last season, spinners bowled 38.3% of the total overs in the tournament. In IPL 2026, that has fallen sharply to 29%, reflecting the growing preference for seamers.

The rise of deeper batting line-ups and aggressive intent has contributed heavily to this trend. Captains are persisting with pacers for longer periods, seeking aid from the surface through extra bounce and skid.

In a season driven by fearless hitting and flat pitches, pace has firmly taken centre stage, leaving spin searching for relevance once again.

Note: all stats till the end of the league phase.