---
type: story
title: "MLC vs IPL: What Three Seasons of Data Actually Shows"
description: >
  MLC is three years old. IPL is eighteen. When you put their numbers side by side —
  death bowling economies, powerplay strike rates, scoring averages — the comparison
  is more interesting than anyone expected.
tags:
  - MLC
  - IPL
  - comparison
  - methodology
status: active
last_verified: 2026-06-25
timestamp: 2026-06-25
license: CC-BY-4.0
source_system: CricketStudio
source_boundary: derived_claims_only
canonical_page: https://okf.cricketstudio.ai/stories/mlc-vs-ipl-what-numbers-show/
resource: https://okf.cricketstudio.ai/stories/mlc-vs-ipl-what-numbers-show/
entity_id: cricketstudio:story:mlc-vs-ipl-what-numbers-show
dataset_version: 2026-06-11
provenance:
  source: >
    MLC all-time figures: CricketStudio MLC historical dataset (2023-2025, 75 matches).
    IPL 2026 figures: CricketStudio IPL 2026 phase-split dataset.
    IPL historical baseline: Cricsheet CC BY 3.0 (2008-2022).
  confidence: high
  notes: >
    Cross-league comparisons require caution. MLC (75 matches, 3 seasons) vs
    IPL (1000+ matches, 18 seasons). Sample sizes are not equivalent.
    Venue conditions, opposition quality, and competition structures differ.
related:
  - ../dossier/mlc-powerplay-vs-ipl-powerplay.md
  - ../stories/mlc-powerplay-batters-nobody-talks-about.md
  - ../stories/mlc-death-overs-revolution.md
  - ../dossier/toss-effect-mlc-vs-ipl.md
---

# MLC vs IPL: What Three Seasons of Data Actually Shows

## The Question Nobody Asked

If you put MLC's best numbers alongside IPL's best numbers, where does a three-year-old league actually stand?

## What the Data Says

**Death bowling — MLC all-time best vs IPL 2026:**

| Bowler | Competition | Balls | Death Economy |
|--------|------------|-------|--------------|
| CJ Gannon | MLC all-time (Seasons 1–3) | 71 | 7.18 RPO |
| PJ Cummins | MLC all-time (Seasons 1–3) | 48 | 7.38 RPO |
| LH Ferguson | MLC all-time (Seasons 1–3) | 74 | 7.54 RPO |
| [Jasprit Bumrah](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/jasprit-bumrah) | IPL 2026 | 78 | 7.69 RPO |

**Powerplay batting — MLC all-time best vs IPL 2026 (≥30 ball floor):**

| Batter | Competition | Balls | Powerplay SR |
|--------|------------|-------|-------------|
| MJ Owen | MLC all-time | 123 | 194.3 |
| FH Allen | MLC all-time | 225 | 188.0 |
| R Ravindra | MLC all-time | 129 | 187.6 |
| [Vaibhav Suryavanshi](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/vaibhav-suryavanshi) | IPL 2026 | 223 | 233.6 |

*(All figures: CricketStudio MLC and IPL 2026 datasets, version 2026-06-11)*

**Toss behaviour:**

| League | Bowl-first preference | Season |
|--------|--------------------|--------|
| MLC (Grand Prairie) | 76.7% | Seasons 1–3 |
| IPL | ~52% | 2026 |

*(From: CricketStudio toss analysis datasets)*

## The Wow

MLC's best-ever powerplay strike rates (194.3, 188.0, 187.6) would rank in IPL 2026's top 10. A three-year-old league has produced powerplay batting that competes on the same data table as IPL's elite.

[Suryavanshi](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/vaibhav-suryavanshi)'s 233.6 remains clearly ahead — that is an outlier figure even in the IPL 2026 context. But the gap between MLC's top powerplay batters and the middle of IPL's qualifying pool is smaller than franchise branding would suggest.

On death bowling, MLC's all-time leaders (7.18, 7.38, 7.54) are slightly better than [Bumrah](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/jasprit-bumrah)'s IPL 2026 figure (7.69). This is a genuine data comparison — though it requires the cross-league caveats below.

## What It Doesn't Say

This comparison is illustrative, not definitive. MLC has 75 matches. IPL has 1,000-plus. Small samples produce more volatile statistics — MLC's figures may reflect a combination of skill and variance that a larger sample would moderate.

Opposition quality differs. IPL bowlers face IPL batting lineups; MLC bowlers face MLC batting lineups. The run environments are similar but not identical.

[Suryavanshi](https://players.cricketstudio.ai/players/vaibhav-suryavanshi)'s IPL 2026 powerplay SR (233.6) is not directly comparable to MLC all-time figures — it is one IPL season vs multi-season MLC careers. The comparison works as context, not as a ranking.

## Related Concepts

- [MLC vs IPL Powerplay Comparison](../dossier/mlc-powerplay-vs-ipl-powerplay.md)
- [Toss Effect: MLC vs IPL](../dossier/toss-effect-mlc-vs-ipl.md)
- [MLC Powerplay Batters Nobody Talks About](../stories/mlc-powerplay-batters-nobody-talks-about.md)
