You know, cricket hasn’t always been about smashing balls into the stands or fireworks on every delivery. Singles—the quiet little runs you take by nudging the ball and sprinting—used to be the heart of an innings. Really, they were. They didn’t make headlines, sure, but they built partnerships, tested bowlers, and gave innings a rhythm. Legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Geoff Boycott, and Rahul Dravid didn’t hit sixes every ball—they mastered singles, angles, and timing. Each little run counted. Now? Well, things are different. T20s, ODIs, franchise cricket—everything is louder, flashier, and faster. Singles often feel like a side note. But before we toss them aside, let’s look closely. The numbers, the analytics, the data—they tell a story that’s surprisingly… human, actually.
Numbers Don’t Lie… Or Do They?
Take this: CricViz looked at over 6,000 T20 matches from 2005 to 2022. Boundaries now make up 64% of runs. That’s up from 48% in the early days. And IPL? 2023 stats say 71% of runs come from boundaries, only 18% from singles. That’s… a huge swing. It’s not just a trend; it’s practically a cultural shift.
ODIs show a similar story. 2011 World Cup: singles made 43% of runs. By 2019, down to 29%. And here’s a kicker: CricViz shows T20 teams with boundary rates above 55% win about 72% of games. Teams relying more on singles? Below 40%. That’s not just numbers. That’s proof that the game rewards power now, not subtlety.
Money Talks, Rather Loudly
Then there’s money. Cricket isn’t just a sport anymore; it’s entertainment. And entertainment has dollar signs attached. Deloitte’s 2021 survey says 72% of fans watch cricket for sixes and fours; only 9% actually care about singles. IPL’s 2023–2027 media rights deal? $6.2 billion. Every broadcaster, every sponsor, wants the thrill, not the quiet nudge of a single.
Players like Andre Russell, Glenn Maxwell, and Liam Livingstone thrive in this. Boundary-hitters = gold. CricEconomics, 2022: Batters with over 55% boundary rates went for 22% higher auction prices. Singles? Overlooked. Unappreciated. Yet, they’re quietly essential if you know where to look.
The Sweat, The Risk
Modern cricket is athletic poetry, almost ridiculous sometimes. Players sprint like sprinters, leap like gymnasts. That gentle nudge to pick a single? It’s risky now. The University of Western Australia, 2020, says T20 players average 1.9 km per innings. ODIs? 3.4 km. Tests? 6.2 km. Factor in rocket-accurate throws and fields with acrobats, and suddenly singles feel like Russian roulette.
CricViz IPL 2018–2023: singles inside the circle led to run-outs 14% of the time—double what it used to be. Risky, yes, but thrilling. And it explains why players often go for a lofted boundary instead.
Mental Games
Dr. Shilpa Rao calls it “impact per ball.” Basically, a six swings momentum; a single barely nudges it. That’s the psychology. And youth coaching? BCCI under-19 survey 2021: 67% of coaches prioritize boundary-hitting, 21% talk about strike rotation. Kids grow up thinking singles are optional. I mean, with highlight reels of sixes everywhere, can you blame them?
Singles Aren’t Dead, Promise
Don’t get me wrong—they’re still alive. Tests rely on them. Joe Root’s 2023 Ashes innings: 46% of runs were singles/twos. Kane Williamson in the 2019 World Cup final: singles anchored New Zealand’s innings. Middle overs in T20? Teams with singles making up 30%+ of runs in overs 7–15 scored 15–20 runs more than teams that ignored rotation. Subtle, yes, but impactful. Singles quietly win matches.
Geography, Culture, and Style
Singles are regional, too. Subcontinental players love them against spin. Dhoni, 2019 stats: dot-ball percentage vs spin = 23%, lowest worldwide. Caribbean batters? Power first, singles second. So, the relevance of singles depends on where and how you play.
Dot Balls and Momentum
Singles manage dot balls. CricViz says: every dot ball in T20 reduces win probability by 0.8%. Teams with fewer than 35 dot balls win 63%; more than 35? Only 28%. Little runs, big difference. That’s why singles are stealthy heroes.
Women’s Cricket Perspective
Women’s cricket underscores singles’ value. 2023 Women’s T20 WC: singles = 36% of total runs. Almost double men. Players like Mandhana, Lanning craft innings with placement, running, and selective boundaries. Brute force isn’t the default, yet singles dominate. Shows that the art isn’t gone; it just adapts.
Beauty in Simplicity
There’s art in singles. Watching Kohli, de Villiers steal a single or two feels choreographed, fluid, instinctive. Boundaries thrill crowds; singles maintain rhythm and tension. Take them away, and cricket loses subtlety, narrative flow, and grace.
Hybrid Approaches
Modern players mix power and precision. Suryakumar Yadav, IPL 2023: 61% boundaries, 23% singles, dot-ball <30%. Singles aren’t the headline, but they’re essential. Adaptability, not brute force, defines today’s batting. There has always been a concept of luxury and necessity in the life of a human being. Similarly, it may be cited that, in a batsman’s innings, boundaries are obviously ideal and thus luxury, but singles and doubles are the necessity without a hint of hesitation.
Conclusion: The Heartbeat
So, are singles obsolete? Not really. They’re overshadowed and eclipsed by boundaries—sure. Market, fans, formats push for power. But singles persist. They build partnerships, maintain rhythm, and quietly control matches. Cricket’s heartbeat—the one-and-two—still pulses beneath the roar of crowds, subtle, essential, alive. Ignore it at your own peril.