Cricket is one of the most condition-dependent sports in the world. A team’s fortune and strategy in the sport revolve heavily around a myriad of factors, like the nature of the pitch, the size of the ground, and the weather.
In the Indian Premier League too, the grounds and their associated features play a huge role in determining the fate of the home side.
Here are some of the key stats that define the home venues of each IPL side.
Narendra Modi Stadium
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad favours batters with an average run-rate of 8.43 in the Indian Premier League, making it one of the tournament’s most batter-friendly grounds.
In terms of bowling, both pace and spin have similar effectiveness, with pacers averaging 29.24 and spinners 30.91. Interestingly, there’s no distinct advantage to batting first or chasing, as both strategies have nearly equal win percentages.
Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur (Debut)
The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur will be the Punjab Kings’ home ground this season. The Mullanpur Stadium boasts a remarkable herringbone drainage system that efficiently eliminates water from the playing surface in just 25–30 minutes after rainfall.
The ground is built using sand instead of traditional soil, providing superior stability and playing conditions.
The venue will make its debut with the highly anticipated clash against the Delhi Capitals on March 23, 2024.
Arun Jaitley Stadium
Arun Jaitley Stadium, home to the Delhi Capitals, is known for its short boundaries. Despite this, the batting strike rate at the ground is only 131.55, ranking sixth among venues hosting over 20 IPL matches.
The stadium is just one six away from witnessing its 1000th maximum, joining Wankhede, Chinnaswamy, and Eden Gardens. Spinners have a slight edge over pacers in bowling average, with spinners averaging 28.87 compared to 29.88 for pacers.
ACA-VDCA Stadium
The Delhi Capitals has declared Visakhapatnam their “second home” for the season, hosting matches against CSK and KKR on March 31 and April 3 respectively.
Historically, the pitch is known for producing belters, where batters can play through the line on even-paced wickets. However, the average batting strike rate at the ground is 121.27, while the overall bowling average comes to 23.89.
Ekana Stadium
Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, home to the Lucknow Super Giants, stands out as the most bowler-friendly IPL venue in India. Among the current IPL grounds, it has the lowest bowling strike rate, average, and economy.
In the seven matches it has hosted, spinners have been particularly effective, conceding only 6.67 runs per over and taking wickets every 20.43 runs and 18.3 balls, leading in these parameters among current IPL venues.
The ground’s bowler-friendly conditions have made it challenging for big-hitting batsmen, reflected in the low batting strike rate of 115.64.
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, home to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, ranks fourth-worst in batting average among venues hosting over 20 IPL matches. This aligns with the team’s strategy of relying on bowlers for success. The stadium boasts a low IPL economy of 7.87 and has seen the most five-wicket hauls in IPL history.
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