'Want To See How Bowlers Respond After Last Year'

In a chat with Swaroop Swaminathan, former RCB director of cricket Hesson talks about the IPL, significance of a T20 captain, role of coaches, usage of data in the format & more...

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When England went about rewriting the rules of 50-over cricket after the 2015 World Cup, there was an oft-asked question: Would the arms race among batters in ODIs lead to a team breaching 500?

Over the next 10 years, teams have tried, but 500 has remained the unconquerable mountain. Similarly, in T20s, 300 has remained untouchable. Well, almost. Two teams have zoomed past 300 in the last year (Baroda against Sikkim and Zimbabwe versus Nepal). With the Indian Premier League (IPL) season in full swing, will there be a 300 on the cards? Eight of the 10 highest innings totals in IPL history came in 2024. It's why Mike Hesson, former director of cricket at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, is looking to observe how the bowlers respond in the 18th edition. The Kiwi, who runs the 'Coach Hesson' YouTube channel, also spoke about why being a T20 captain is the hardest gig in the game today and more. Excerpts...