Mid-way through the IPL 2024 season, a high-level emergency conference was held, called BAS CHAKKA—Bowlers Against Sixers.

The attendees were the various “deliveries” in T20 cricket—once heralded, now wounded, and demoralised, the attendees comprised balls/deliveries of all kinds—the Chinaman, the wrong ‘un, the googly, the off break, the off cutter, the inswinger, the outswinger, the straighter ball, the carrom ball, the bouncer, the yorker, the wide yorker, the half tracker, the length ball, the “doosra”, the knuckleball, the reverse swinging ball, the slower ball—many of these deliveries were injured badly during the tournament, they came on crutches, walking sticks, walkers and wheelchairs. There was a decided gloom in the air, an overhang of pessimism.