IPL 2024: 'Team that's most willing to...,' DC coach Ricky Ponting reveals key to win ongoing season

Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting thinks attacking batting is going to be the key to win the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season rather then defensive bowling. Ponting made the comments at the pre-match conference ahead of DC's game against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Wednesday (Apr 17). The IPL has already seen multiple high scores including the highest team total in the league history - two of them have been posted by SunRisers Hyderabad.

"Quite often, big tournaments like the IPL and the Big Bash (League, BBL) back in Australia have been won by the best defensive bowling teams. But the way this IPL is going - and [with] the different rules in the IPL - it looks like it will be won by the team that's most willing to take on the bowling, and try and post some really big scores. I think it's potentially more attacking batting that's going to win this IPL than defensive bowling," Ponting opined.

Ponting also said that impact player rule has benefited teams to a certain extent in posting high totals this season and said: "Sunrisers (Hyderabad, SRH) are obviously responsible for a couple of those [big scores]. KKR got 260-odd [272 for 7] against us. I think the impact player is having a big effect on the way teams are batting. You watched the way Travis [Head] batted last night. You can't bat that way unless you've got confidence in the players underneath you and you bat deep in your batting order as well."

The season has already seen SRH post league history's highest total twice - 277 against Mumbai Indians before improving it against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 15. On Tuesday (Apr 16), Rajasthan Royals also chased down the joint-highest total of IPL history - 224.

DC, however, have not been a great participant in the high-scoring spree as visible by their record of four losses and two wins after six games, only better than last-placed RCB.