R Ashwin has expressed concerns about the impact of flat wickets in IPL 2025 on bowlers’ mental health, suggesting they may need psychological support.
The 2025 IPL season has witnessed high-scoring matches, with three of the initial five games recording scores above 200 in both innings.
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The combination of flat pitches across all franchise venues and the Impact Player rule has encouraged aggressive batting while limiting bowling options. The 2024 IPL season set new records for runs, strike rates, and batting averages, with Sunrisers Hyderabad nearly matching their highest tournament score in their opening match of 2025.
“You said bowlers are becoming defensive. I want to talk about that. I think bowlers will soon have to be accompanied by personal psychologists. I genuinely mean that,” Ashwin said while responding to a comment by his analyst friend Prasanna Agoram in a video discussion on his YouTube channel.
“Okay, people say bowlers are becoming defensive. Let that argument stand. But in several instances, bowling has literally become impossible. On certain grounds, you can’t keep the stumps in play. You mentioned full tosses-but (Yuzvendra) Chahal bowled full tosses to Sai Sudharsan and got away with singles (on Tuesday in Ahmedabad). In fact, a full toss isn’t always a bad ball. On some pitches, deliveries that land on the wicket actually make it easier for batters. We all thought full tosses were easier to hit when we were young, but on certain surfaces, the ball pitches and comes onto the bat better than a full toss,” he added.
Ashwin currently plays for Chennai Super Kings, who have won five IPL titles. Their home ground, Chepauk in Chennai, is known for providing consistent support to bowlers. CSK secured victory in their first home match against Mumbai Indians, successfully chasing 156 runs in the final over.
Their next match is scheduled against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday, March 28, at their home ground.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Find out how to watch IPL 2025 in Canada and the USA.
