The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 has commenced amidst a brewing storm of discontent among franchises over the preparation of home pitches. Frustration has escalated within the initial weeks as teams find their home grounds not catering to their strategic strengths, sparking a broader debate on the essence of home advantage in one of cricket’s most competitive tournaments.
During a recent match at the Ekana Stadium, Lucknow Super Giants’ mentor, Zaheer Khan, expressed his disappointment with the pitch conditions. Following a defeat to Punjab Kings, Khan remarked, “The pitch at Ekana looked as if it had been prepared by a curator from Punjab.” The surface, offering significant seam movement, challenged the LSG top order and did not align with the team’s bowling strengths. Khan’s comments highlight a growing sentiment among IPL teams that the pitches are not being tailored to favor the home side, a common practice in cricket to leverage local conditions.
The issue is not isolated to Lucknow. Reports suggest that the Kolkata Knight Riders have been pushing for pitches at Eden Gardens that offer more assistance to spinners. Similarly, the Delhi Capitals have expressed dissatisfaction with the pitches prepared for their home matches in Vizag, overseen by a BCCI-appointed curator. These incidents have set the franchises on a collision course with the BCCI, which insists on maintaining control over pitch preparation to ensure fairness and consistency across the tournament.
The BCCI’s stance is clear: pitch preparation is the sole responsibility of the board’s designated curators, and franchises are not to interfere. The board’s guidelines aim to prevent pitches that excessively favor seam or spin, promoting a balanced competition. However, this approach has led to tensions, as teams traditionally work with local associations to optimize home conditions to their advantage.
Historically, such as in 2019 when Chennai’s pitches aided excessive turn, the BCCI has intervened by deploying neutral curators. The current situation might prompt similar action if teams continue to demand alterations to home pitches. A BCCI source commented, “The pitches have been good so far. Teams may be asking for more bowler-friendly conditions, but better communication between franchises and curators is needed, especially not within a week of the season starting.”
Former Delhi Capitals director Sourav Ganguly had previously engaged with the DDCA to understand and influence pitch conditions, leading to high-scoring games at the Kotla during the 2023 World Cup and IPL 2024. This example underscores the potential benefits of collaboration between teams and local associations.
Looking ahead, Zaheer Khan remains optimistic about adapting to the pitch conditions in upcoming games. “We’ll figure out the pitch,” he stated, acknowledging the challenges but also the dynamic nature of the IPL, where teams must adapt quickly to varying conditions.
Amidst these discussions, LSG faces additional challenges with injuries to key pacers like Akash Deep and Mayank Yadav, relying on younger players such as Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav, and Shahbaz Ahmed.
In Kolkata, the pitch debate took a different turn. After a controversial defeat in their opening game, the Kolkata Knight Riders, led by Ajinkya Rahane, have been vocal about needing more assistance from the pitch. However, team mentor Dwayne Bravo downplayed the issue, emphasizing adaptability over pitch conditions. “I don’t know much about pitches,” Bravo said. “For me, it’s always the team which plays best on the day that wins. Whether the pitch is slow, or turning or not, should not matter. I always tell the players to make the assessment and play according to the conditions.”