This is not to say that 20-20 cricket is all about instincts and not planning. No format of the game can be entirely planning or instincts. Not even test match. How much ever planning may go behind the test match, instinctive decision making finds a significant role in winning a match. Same way, how much ever we may say 20-20 is about instincts, planning acquires a significant pie in winning or losing 20-20 matches.
Better statement would be ‘20-20 is largely played on instincts rather than planning’. However, by saying that we do not underestimate role of planning in 20-20 format.
In 20-20 you are left with little choice about planning your game many times (not all times).
For example, you wish to play a Smithish (like Graeme Smith) innings of looking to stay till the end - anchor types. You find batsman at the other end is struggling to connect (and also not getting out). Suddenly, you find your team scoring at less than 6 runs per over. How much ever you may have planned your innings, you have to respond to the situation and do it quickly. You can not be taking singles whenever you get strike to see that the other batsman is making a mess of it. Opposite – if batsman at the other end is playing a Viruish (like Virender Sehwag) innings, you know how you need to respond. You are not required to hit each ball to boundary. Ensure that you are scoring at least singles and not getting out. Sense and respond!
Suppose, as per your plan, you may want to carefully see-off Muralidaran’s 3 out of 4 overs and target the bowler named Shadab Jakati; and you realize on that day Murali is not on top of his game, you got to respond. Because you never know, Jakati may have a good day with ball. Murali with 3-0-12-0 and Jakati with 3-0-20-2; you know as a batting side where you are heading.
The issue about planning in this format is, if the Plan A fails there is very very little time available to make Plan B work for you.
Does that mean, planning is of no use? Does that mean 20-20 is a pure gamble? Not at all. It is a sport not a gamble.
Fielding side needs plenty of planning, plan As, Bs & Cs… and therefore would like to handle that separately.
Lets see where planning is required for batting side.
In the above example of batsmanship, not all batsmen can play Smithish innings. Here is the scope for plan. Identify a couple of batsmen in your squad who are best equipped to sense and respond to the situations ranging from best to worst. Now, you almost know how these identified batsmen should be practicing in the nets and preparing for the games. See, these are not necessarily the best batsmen in the squad, but the batsmen who can change gears from 1st to 5th. In IPL, in case of Delhi Daredevils, Sehwag may be the best batsman in the squad but for the kind of batsmen we are thinking in this case may just be Gambhir & Dilshan. Sachin and Duminy for Mumbai Indians; Rohit Sharma for Deccan Chargers; Dhoni for Chennai Super Kings; Ganguly for Kolkata Knight Riders; Jayawardene for Kings XI Punjab; Dravid and Boucher for Royal Challengers Bangalore apart from Smith for Rajasthan Royals.
Batting order, to me, is one big area where lot of thinking and planning is required. As much as bowling needs planning, changes in batting order needs it. Changes in the batting order can not be too impulsive – one fine day, suddenly coach can not ask Harbhajan to pad-up before Duminy. You need to surprise opposition not yourselves. Surprised opposition often gives you chances. After doing it with a careful planning also, it may not work every time (as happened in case of Mumbai Indians – Harbhajan got promoted 2 times, once successful, next time not so). Leave alone the pinch-hitter tactics, the order in which top 6 batsmen play will have a crucial impact on the innings. Plenty of permutations and combinations like, what if 60 for 0, what if 15 for 2, what if 100 for 1 and so on to be considered and carefully worked out. Rajasthan Royals gives an impression of having given a deep thought on these aspects – thanks to Warne.
To surprise opposition without getting surprised yourselves needs a plenty of thinking and planning before the game. There is a thin line between being instinctive and being hasty. To be successfully instinctive, one needs to have thought about plenty of possibilities. Rigid planning and hasty instincts – both are equally troublesome.
Promoting Harbhajan Singh or demoting Yusuf Pathan may happen on instincts, however careful thinking of such possibilities before will allow captains to have belief in their own instincts. Thinking about possibilities before the game – isn’t this what we call planning?
Lets discuss in this forum about other areas where planning would help captains to have belief in their own instincts.

Kerry Packer, founder of the World Cricket Series, the man who laid the plinth of the ODI’s long back, bought Packer Cricus in front of the world, people were getting tired of the over longing 5 Day Test Series, the man changed the definition of Cricket.

We all have witnessed batsmen rising, fast bowlers showing nightmares to batsman in daylight, spinners doozling the ball from off to leg stump…..

Years passed, year and half ago, Kapil Dev launched Indian Cricket League, the only sole purpose behind it was to create a space for each and every player to play in the limelight, which the BCCI was not able to do so…..

The Indian Team for many years, was blind folded with players, who were stubborn on their positions in the team irrespective of their performances, where the other truth is that for past 28 Years the Indian Soil has not seen the flavor of a World Cup……

Keeping in mind the one and only Kapil Dev bought in the ICL 20-20 with players who were waiting for their chance to come in the Indian Team, he carved in the place for such players, truly Kapil was , is and always will be a true champion.

Then to Contest ICL, BCCI launched IPL in no time, blocked ICL from ICC saying ICL is not approved, IPL bought in the fame, fantasy, and players all around the world ….. no matter both ICL and IPL generate money, but the cause of ICL and IPL are different ….

ICL’s till date motto is to get a player sitting outside the field to get him in… and IPL wants to outright ICL…. thats the difference…

We have gathered here to talk about IPL ….but the innovative idea of fast and furious cricket was of Kerry Packer ….

So guys, come forward and share in your views as what improvement you would like to make in IPL …. whose your fav. team … what you would have done if you were the IPL Commisioner.