Reverse Swing Revitalizes Seam Bowling Attacks in IPL 2025

Josh Hazlewood Leads the Charge

Josh Hazlewood has been the standout bowler for Royal Challengers Bengaluru this season, and his exceptional performance in the death overs has been a major factor in their success. He has conceded at 8.25/over in away games and has four wickets to show for.

Mitchell Starc's Reverse Swing Masterclass

Mitchell Starc has been another key player in the reverse swing revolution. His spell against Rajasthan Royals at Kotla was a masterclass in reverse swing, and he has been instrumental in extracting movement from the older ball. He has averaged 1.01 degrees of movement in the second half of the innings (overs 11-20) and has taken five wickets off fuller lengths with each extracting a swing of over one degree.

Avesh Khan Joins the Party

Avesh Khan has also been a key player in the reverse swing revolution, helping LSG defend 25 runs off 18 balls against Rajasthan Royals. He averaged 2.46 meters in length and generated an average swing of 1.72 degrees.

Reverse Swing on the Rise

The use of reverse swing has increased significantly in the last few games, with 54% of seamers attempting yorkers in death overs (16-20) compared to 41% earlier in the season. The share of straight yorkers has also increased, with 63% of attempted yorkers being aimed at the stumps.

Fast Bowlers Regain the Upper Hand

The reverse swing has tilted the scale in favor of fast bowlers, with spinners bowling 28% of the balls at death compared to 40% earlier in the season.

Yorkers on the Rise

The number of attacking yorkers has increased significantly this season, with 40.7% of attempted yorkers being aimed at the stumps. This is a sharp increase from last season, where the share of attacking yorkers was 15.5%.

Reverse Swing Gives Bowlers a Higher Margin of Error

The reverse swing has given bowlers a higher margin of error while attempting yorkers, with the economy rate when one misses a straight yorker being in double digits. However, the damage has happened when bowlers have erred on the fuller side bowling full tosses, with an economy rate of 13.50.

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