GT vs DC IPL 2024: ‘Attacking batting will win this IPL and not defensive bowling’

GT vs DC IPL 2024 Ricky Ponting on who will win the tournament

As the IPL has progressed over the years, scoring rates have escalated, reaching unprecedented levels this season with an average of 9.48 runs per over after 31 matches. The previous highest scoring rate was recorded in IPL 2023 at 8.99.

Rajasthan Royals contributed significantly to this season's high scoring rate by matching their own record for the highest successful chase in IPL history, surpassing Kolkata Knight Riders' total of 223/6 on the final ball.

This year has witnessed the three highest team totals in IPL history, with four of the five highest totals achieved. The long-standing record set by Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 23, 2013, when Chris Gayle's 175 not out propelled them to 263/5, has been surpassed three times in this season alone.

Despite this run-scoring frenzy, Delhi Capitals find themselves at the ninth position on the table ahead of their seventh match against Gujarat Titans. Their head coach, Ricky Ponting, believes that the team most inclined to take on the bowling, rather than the best defensive side with the ball, is likely to clinch the title. The introduction of the IPL's impact player rule has played a significant role in shaping the current landscape of the game.

Ponting remarked at his pre-match press conference that teams such as Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have capitalized on the impact player rule, have influenced the aggressive batting approach seen in the tournament. He emphasized the importance of confidence in the batting order and the ability to bat deep.

While Lucknow Super Giants have gained a reputation for defending modest totals at home, massive scores have become a common occurrence across venues. The 200-run mark was first surpassed in the third game of the season when KKR scored 208/7, and SRH responded with 204/7 at Eden Gardens. Since then, this milestone has been reached 11 times, with SRH's 287/3 against RCB being the highest total at this stage.

Ponting's prediction suggests that teams’ adept at maximizing the powerplay and posting formidable scores, such as SRH, could emerge victorious in the tournament.