IPL 2026: The Par Score, Over by Over
What's a par first-innings score at the end of each over in IPL 2026? The average scoring trajectory across 73 matches — a reference curve for reading any innings.
Summary
Every T20 innings is read against an invisible line: are they ahead of par or behind? This report draws that line for IPL 2026. Across all 73 first innings we averaged the cumulative score at the end of each over to produce the season's par trajectory — the number a batting side is "on track" for at any point.
The par curve (first innings)
| End of over | Par cumulative score |
|---|---|
| 6 (powerplay) | 56 |
| 10 | 90 |
| 15 | 136 |
| 20 (innings) | 186 |
A par IPL 2026 first innings reached 56 at the powerplay, 90 at halfway, 136 at the end of the 15th over, and 186 at the close — roughly 9.3 runs per over, accelerating from ~9.4 in the powerplay to ~10 at the death.
How to use it
- At the 15-over mark, 136 is the pivot. A side there is set up for a par-plus total; the final five overs historically add ~50. Well above 136 points to 200+; well below signals a recovery job.
- The powerplay par is 56 — about 9.3 an over. A team at 45/0 after six is behind the run line even with wickets in hand; one at 65/1 is ahead despite the loss.
- The curve is close to linear (par rises ~9–10 per over throughout), which is itself a finding: IPL 2026 first innings did not feature the sharp late "hockey-stick" acceleration of lower-scoring eras — scoring was high and steady from the powerplay on.
This descriptive par curve is the groundwork for an expected-value model: it is the league-average baseline that a context-aware model (venue, wickets in hand, match state) refines ball by ball.
Provenance
Source: CricketStudio aggregation of IPL 2026 ball-by-ball data. Par = mean cumulative first-innings runs (off-bat + extras) at the end of each over across all 73 captured matches. First innings only (scoreboard S1). Window: IPL 2026. Computed 2026-10-18 UTC.