How did Sharjah’s small boundaries affect match outcomes?


IPL 2023 Winner

now we’re stepping into the madness of Sharjah — the ground where even mis-hits clear the rope and bowlers have existential crises 😵‍💫

Sharjah's tiny dimensions, especially during IPL 2020 and 2021, turned many matches into video game simulations. Let’s dig into how the small boundaries affected match outcomes, team strategies, and player performances 👇

🏟️ Sharjah: The Six-Fest Stadium

🎯 Dimensions Snapshot:

  • Straight boundary: ~62–65 meters

  • Square boundary: ~58–60 meters

  • Compared to other venues like Dubai or Wankhede, these are miniature.

TL;DR: If you middle it, it’s gone. If you mis-hit it… it’s probably still gone.

🔥 How It Changed Match Outcomes:

💣 1. Massive Scores Were the Norm (at first)

  • Teams easily crossed 200+ in early 2020 games.

  • Bowlers struggled to contain runs — even yorkers got ramped or scooped for six.

📌 Example:

  • RR vs KXIP, 2020: 223 chased down with 3 balls to spare

  • Total sixes in that match: 33

🧠 2. Teams Started Batting First Aggressively

  • Knowing they needed 200+ to feel safe

  • No safe total = captains went all in early

  • Teams with power-hitters (RR, MI, KXIP) did especially well here

🏃‍♂️ 3. Running Between Wickets? Meh. Just Swing.

  • Batters didn't bother with singles much — it was all about boundaries

  • Dot balls were rare. Even bad deliveries were punished hard.

🧨 Sharjah turned every No.7 batter into a finisher.

😵 4. Bowlers Had Nightmares

  • Yorkers missed = boundary

  • Slower balls sat up = boundary

  • Bouncers too short = boundary

Only the most variation-savvy bowlers (like Rashid Khan, Narine, or Bumrah) held their own with tight lines + mental toughness

🔁 5. Pitches Got Slower Later in the Season

  • Early 2020: Batting paradise

  • Mid-to-late 2020: Overused tracks slowed down

  • Scores dropped to 140–150, and spin started creeping in

But still — boundaries were so small that even half-shots caused damage.

🔝 Players Who Thrived at Sharjah:

🔫 AB de Villiers – Targeted square boundaries, mastered pace

💣 Nicholas Pooran – Cleanest striker in Sharjah 2020

🧠 Sanju Samson – Loved using the straight boundary in powerplay

🧙‍♂️ Rashid Khan – Actually managed to contain Sharjah chaos with dot balls and deception

📉 Strategic Impact:

Aspect Impact at Sharjah
Bowling 1st Risky — chasing 200+ became a pattern
Death Bowling Nightmarish without pinpoint yorkers
Spin Strategy Risky early, but effective on tired pitches
Boundary Fielding Crucial — one dropped catch = momentum gone
Toss Importance High — especially if pitch was still fresh

🧠 TL;DR:

Sharjah = "Batter’s Disney World" 🏰
Small boundaries led to massive totals, thrilling chases, and broken bowling figures. But once the pitches wore out, it became a mind game — only those who adapted could survive the Sharjah swing between dream and nightmare.

Want a “Top 5 Matches that Went Nuts at Sharjah”? Or a custom strategy guide for bowlers on surviving Sharjah? Let’s play armchair coach! 🎮📋