SunRisers Hyderabad Coach Suggests IPL Rule Tweak To Shorten Matches

With some IPL 2019 matches going on till after midnight, several fans and former cricketers have complained about the ever-increasing time being taken by matches in the tournament. Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma and Rajasthan Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane have been fined Rs 12 lakh each for their teams' slow over rates in specific matches, but most agree that this is not enough. SunRisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody has suggested that deductions be made from a team's net run rate if their over rate is slow, something which he said might act as a stronger deterrent than fines.

Specifically referring to the recent match between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, former England captain Michael Vaughan complained about the duration of matches in a tweet on Wednesday.

T20 is a great product .. but games are now taking over 4 hrs .. Too long IMO .. The super over in Delhi took 30 mins !!!!! The 100 might just be the answer you never know .... #OnOn #IPL

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) April 3, 2019

The match in question went down to the super over and finished well past midnight, with one long break taken before the over by KKR's Prasidh Krishna and another before the over bowled by DC's Kagiso Rabada.

SRH coach Tom Moody replied to Vaughan's tweet with a suggestion that has drawn widespread approval, including an agreement from Vaughan.

Simple solution, forget monetary fines, deduct from teams net run rate. Works in the @CPL, players quickly recognise the value of NRR when it comes to qualifying for playoffs!

— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) April 3, 2019

The concept of penalty runs is, however, not new in T20 cricket. One of the provisions of the shortest format when it had been first introduced was that a six-run penalty would be added for each over that wasn't bowled within the stipulated time limit - 20 overs in 90 minutes.

The rule of penalty runs is enforced in the T20 blast, England's domestic T20 competition, as well. As recently as last year, Kent beat Somerset with the help of six penalty runs to qualify for the quarter finals. The IPL has never seen such a rule being enforced.