Sachin Tendulkar, the Mumbai Indians captain, hates it. But former India opener Navjot Sidhu finds nothing wrong with it, saying it could actually help if used appropriately.
He admits commercial benefits could have driven the idea, but still believes it is not something without virtue.
"Twenty20 is a compressed and shortened form of cricket and you need time to execute your plans on the field. The extra time given after 10 overs as a strategy break should come in handy if it is tactically used," Sidhu says.
Love it or hate it, but you can definitely not ignore the strategy breaks during the Indian Premier League matches.
The seven-and-a-half minute break, introduced in the second edition of the IPL, created a buzz in the cricketing fraternity with many players questioning its worth.
Some feel the break ends up breaking the momentum of the game, with batsmen at the receiving end, while some criticise the idea as a pure money-making exercise through an extra advertisement slot.
A look at each team's performance in 17 matches before the strategy break and in next five overs after the break.
In the first innings of match:
| Match # | Batted 1st | Score before strategy-break | Run-Rate before strategy break | Score in next 5 overs after strategy-break | Run-Rate in next 5 overs after strategy-break | Difference in Run-Rate |
| 1 | MI v CSK | 64-1 | 6.40 | 41-3 | 8.20 | +1.80 |
| 2 | RCB v RR | 57-4 | 5.70 | 30-1 | 6.00 | +0.30 |
| 3 | KXIP v DD | 67-1 | 11.17 | 37-6 | 6.17 | -5.00 |
| 4 | KKR v DC | 31-3 | 3.10 | 33-2 | 6.60 | +3.50 |
| 5 | CSK v RCB | 106-0 | 10.60 | 29-2 | 5.80 | -4.80 |
| 6 | KXIP v KKR | 67-3 | 6.70 | 50-1 | 10.00 | +3.30 |
| 8 | DC v RCB | 91-2 | 9.10 | 48-1 | 9.60 | +0.50 |
| 9 | DD v CSK | 90-3 | 9.00 | 33-1 | 6.60 | -2.40 |
| 10 | RR v KKR | 78-4 | 7.80 | 29-0 | 5.80 | -2.00 |
| 11 | RCB v KXIP | 71-3 | 7.10 | 29-1 | 5.80 | -1.30 |
| 12 | DC v MI | 88-1 | 8.80 | 49-3 | 9.80 | +1.00 |
| 14 | RCB v DD | 74-3 | 7.40 | 26-1 | 5.20 | -2.20 |
| 15 | KXIP v RR | 60-4 | 6.00 | 38-0 | 7.60 | +1.60 |
| 16 | CSK v DD | 88-2 | 8.80 | 25-2 | 5.00 | -3.80 |
| 17 | MI v KKR | 111-0 | 11.10 | 40-3 | 8.00 | -3.10 |
(RR: Rajasthan Royals, MI: Mumbai Indians, CSK: Chennai Super Kings, KKR: Kolkata Knight Riders, DD: Delhi Daredevils, KXIP: Kings XI Punjab, RCB: Bangalore Royal Challengers, DC: Deccan Chargers)
In the second innings of match:
| Match # | Batted 2nd | Score before strategy-break | Run-Rate before strategy break | Score in next 5 overs after strategy-break | Run-Rate in next 5 overs after strategy-break | Difference in Run-Rate |
| 1 | CSK v MI | 70-3 | 7.00 | 38-2 | 7.60 | +0.60 |
| 2 | RR v RCB | 32-5 | 3.20 | 26-4 | 5.20 | +2.00 |
| 3 | DD V KXIP | 58-0 | 12.00 | DNB | - | - |
| 4 | DC v KKR | 69-2 | 6.90 | 35-0 | 11.08 | +4.18 |
| 5 | RCB v CSK | 56-5 | 5.60 | 29-4 | 5.80 | +0.20 |
| 6 | KKR v KXIP | 79-1 | 8.46 | DNB | - | - |
| 8 | RCB v DC | 57-3 | 5.70 | 52-1 | 10.40 | +4.70 |
| 9 | CSK v DD | 106-2 | 10.60 | 42-2 | 8.40 | -2.20 |
| 10 | KKR v RR | 67-3 | 6.70 | 31-2 | 6.20 | -0.50 |
| 11 | KXIP v RCB | 80-1 | 8.00 | 47-1 | 9.40 | +1.40 |
| 12 | MI v DC | 84-1 | 8.40 | 24-3 | 4.80 | -3.60 |
| 14 | DD v RCB | 64-2 | 6.40 | 35-1 | 7.00 | +0.60 |
| 15 | RR v KXIP | 48-6 | 4.80 | 34-0 | 6.80 | +2.00 |
| 16 | DD v CSK | 85-2 | 8.50 | 44-1 | 8.80 | +0.30 |
| 17 | KKR v MI | 70-2 | 7.00 | 25-5 | 5.00 | -2.00 |
DNB = did not bat
Notes: The match # 7 and 13 were abandoned without a ball being bowled.
In Match # 3, KXIP were allocated 12 overs and strategy-break was taken after 6 overs. The corresponding figure after strategy-break corresponds to their performance in next 6 overs. Delhi Daredevils won the match in only 4.5 overs and there was no strategy-break in their innings.
In Match # 4 DC won in 13.1 overs
In Match # 6 KKR won in 9.2 overs
Do you think the strategy breaks should be done away with? Have your say!
