IPL 2025 is shaping up to be quite exciting, especially with some high-scoring matches. A bunch of teams like SunRisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, and Gujarat Titans have already crossed the 230-run mark, and we’re only a couple of weeks into the tournament. Typically, batting tends to steal the spotlight in T20 cricket, but sometimes it feels like the games can be a bit one-sided. Ravichandran Ashwin, who plays for Chennai Super Kings, recently pointed out that this lopsided feeling even shows up during the awards ceremonies.
He mentioned on his YouTube channel that during the IPL presentation show, there are about ten different awards handed out. And it’s interesting to note that around half of the players on each team end up getting some kind of recognition. But when it comes to bowlers, it seems pretty unfair. Ashwin said, “If someone bowls well or has a great over, they often don’t receive any awards.” He jokingly added that there are awards for the ‘super strikers,’ ‘super fours,’ and ‘super sixes,’ but no recognition for a super ball. He once recalled that there was a fastest ball award, but the bowler could end up giving up a six and still get the award for that.
He also made a funny comment: “It’s not like the bowler can just take the ball and run off the field!” He emphasized how important it is for bowlers to have their moment too, saying, “If I don’t bowl the ball, how will you even hit it?” Recently, Ashwin showed support for Punjab Kings’ bowler Vyshak Vijaykumar, who came on as an impact substitute during a tense match against Gujarat Titans.
Vijaykumar had a crucial role, bowling three important overs in a high-pressure situation. He was brought in during the 15th over with Gujarat Titans needing to chase down a target of 244 runs and they were sitting at 169/2 at that point. In his first two overs, he only gave away five runs each, which was impressive and helped keep the Titans in check to only 187/2 after 17 overs. Despite the tension, his third over did see 18 runs scored off him, but that meant Gujarat was left needing 27 runs off the final six balls, which they couldn’t manage.
In the end, Shreyas Iyer was awarded ‘Player of the Match’ for scoring an impressive 97 not out. Ashwin acknowledged Iyer’s contribution was indeed key, but he also noted something interesting about the match situation. He said, “One guy was in the dugout just serving water and wearing a bib, while the game was really close. Gujarat seemed to be slightly ahead, and Sherfane Rutherford and Jos Buttler were looking strong. But then they suddenly called on Vijaykumar to help shift the momentum.”
Ashwin praised Vijaykumar’s performance even though he didn’t take any wickets. “He bowled so well at the death, which is impressive in itself,” he mentioned. He was clearly impressed with how Vijaykumar executed the game plan, managing to keep the runs down with good yorkers and strategy. “There were a couple of full tosses but I always say, don’t shy away from bowling those. Nowadays, batters can get caught off guard by full tosses,” added Ashwin.
In his mind, Vijaykumar really shone during that game, and he felt he should have been recognized as the Player of the Match for how well he kept the Punjab Kings in the game. The dynamic of this year’s IPL has certainly sparked some conversations about the recognition of bowlers, especially in high-pressure situations. Ashwin’s insights not only shed light on Vijaykumar’s performance but also opened up discussions on the overall fairness in how players are honored.
