Explained: How Prasidh Krishna's unique release points turn him into a potent option in the middle phase for GT in IPL 2025

Prasidh Krishna has been in fine nick in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League. In just eight innings, he has secured a total of 16 wickets. With the manner in which the lanky pacer is performing, it seems quite possible that he may end up as the top wicket-taker of the current season.

Prasidh has been the go-to bowler for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025. His services were acquired by the champions of the 2022 edition for INR 9.5 crore at the mega auction ahead of the ongoing season. This comes after the right-arm quick was ruled out of the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to a lumbar stress fracture and a quad injury, respectively.

The foremost aspect which makes Prasidh a critical weapon is his ability to clock northwards of 140 kph on a consistent basis. The towering 6'2" pacer boasts an inherent ability of generating more bounce off the wicket than most Indian pacers. However, pace and bounce don't really mean a lot for bowlers in the current generation.

For the unversed, bowlers usually make changes to their lengths by making substantial changes in the points at which they release the ball. As far as shorter lengths are concerned, pacers are usually advised to "bend their backs", which helps them to release the ball from a lower position. The opposite applies when it comes to fast bowlers targeting to land the ball on fuller lengths.

Prasidh's shrewd deception of displaying minimal change in the height of release is one component which has made him stand out. According to a detailed report by Wisden, Prasidh's release heights vary by around 7.6 cm. The variation which is hard to pick for the battters is that his release height comes from the 4 cm difference between the balls which land on a good length (6-8 m) and as full tosses (0-2 m).

When it comes to shorter lengths, Prasidh is deemed to be far more difficult to pick on instinct. On an average, the difference in release height between the right-armer's good length and short length deliveries is about 3.4 cm. This is quite a minute difference in height. Bowlers in and around Prasidh's height - Pat Cummins, Gerald Coetzee, Alzarri Joseph, etc. - exhibit a range of 5-7 cm of difference in release heights between good length and short-length deliveries.

The main takeaway from this is that Prasidh possesses the unique ability of landing the ball anywhere from just above the stumps to roughly chest or neck-high with a much lesser factor of predictability. Prasidh's action and follow-through backs this up too. Unlike other bowlers, he springs back up almost instantly. This almost makes it seem as if Prasidh is purposely trying to bang the ball into the deck.

IPL 2025 has seen Prasidh bowl 58% of his overs during the middle phase (overs 7 to 16). So far, Prasidh has given excellent dividends for the Shubman Gill-led side. In a season where most bowlers have gone the distance, he has maintained a frugal economy rate of 7.29. It remains to be seen how well he fares for GT in the business end of the tournament.