Knuckleballs in IPL 2018  

Bhuvneshwar, Siddharth Kaul, Andrew Tye, Shardul Thakur and several other fast bowlers have practiced for months and months to get their knuckle balls right so they can use this deadly weapon in crunch situations. Andre Tye’s use of this slower delivery in the KFC Big Bash League (BBL 2016-17) shot him into the limelight almost instantly. Bhuvneshwar has already caused enough damage with it in international as well as IPL cricket. The batsmen have been dumbfounded by the knuckle balls, especially when used cleverly and sparingly (like the Sunrisers have managed to do). The summer is about to get hotter and as we move towards the business end of the tournament, we can expect more and more slower deliveries and variations coming into play on sticky and tricky surfaces. The next time you are watching the IPL live on television or your favourite streaming application, watch out for the knuckle balls and make sure you take a close look at the bowler’s grip in the action replay. As a viewer, it is pretty easy to spot that magical knuckle delivery while watching it in slow motion!