Intent Quotient — T20 Cricket Analytics

A custom analytical metric (IQ) that quantifies batting intent in T20 cricket, separating tactical aggression from execution quality using ball-by-ball IPL data.

01.Project Overview

Overview

This project introduces Intent Quotient (IQ), a custom analytical metric designed to quantify batting intent in T20 cricket. Using IPL ball-by-ball data, the framework captures how aggressively a batter is playing relative to match context, game phase, and scoring outcomes.

Unlike traditional strike-rate-based measures, IQ explicitly incorporates situational awareness, separating the decision to attack from the result of that decision.


The IQ Metric

Intent Quotient is a composite, context-aware metric derived from ball-level data that captures aggressive batting behavior relative to situation:

  • Shot outcome signals — Runs scored, boundary frequency
  • Risk indicators — Dot ball rate, dismissal events
  • Match context — Over number, innings phase, pressure state (required rate, wickets in hand)
  • Normalization — Scores are normalized across comparable match situations for fair cross-player comparison

The metric operates at multiple aggregation levels: ball, over, innings, player, and match phase.


What IQ Enables

  • Identify batters who consistently signal high intent independent of outcome
  • Compare players with similar strike rates but fundamentally different tactical approaches
  • Observe how intent shifts under scoreboard or wicket pressure
  • Separate tactical aggression from execution quality
  • Perform role identification (anchors vs. aggressors) grounded in quantitative evidence

Project Structure

The codebase includes a full analytical pipeline:

  • Data Processing — Ingestion and cleaning of IPL ball-by-ball data (Cricsheet format)
  • Metric Development — Notebooks for IQ formula iteration and validation
  • Analysis & Visualization — Phase-based comparisons, player profiles, and pressure-response analysis
  • Scraping — Match index builders for expanding the data coverage

Tech Stack

  • Python, Pandas, NumPy
  • Matplotlib, Seaborn, Plotly
  • Jupyter Notebooks
  • IPL ball-by-ball data (Cricsheet)

Technologies

PythonPandasMatplotlibSeabornPlotlyJupyterCricket Analytics

Role

Data Scientist & Metric Designer

Timeline

Oct 2025 - Dec 2025

Category

Sports Analytics / Metric Design