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.
Chepauk (MA Chidambaram Stadium)
Chennai Super Kings has an impressive record at its home venue, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, winning 45 out of 64 IPL matches played there. The stadium, known as Chepauk, is known to be spinner-friendly, with spinners conceding just 7.04 runs per over compared to pacers who concede 8.05 runs per over.
CSK capitalises on this by fielding a strong spin attack led by MS Dhoni, including players like Ravindra Jadeja, Maheesh Theekshana, Moeen Ali, and Mitchell Santner. Additionally, teams batting first have a higher chance of winning at Chepauk, with a 60.53% success rate. The average first-innings score at the ground is 163.18 runs.
M Chinnaswamy Stadium
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium is known for its high-scoring matches, which often influence the fortunes of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who call it its home ground. The boundary dimensions are relatively small, particularly the straight boundaries, which are usually around 65 meters or less.
This makes it challenging for bowlers, reflected in the stadium having the highest average economy rate among venues that have hosted at least 30 IPL matches (8.70). As matches progress, batting becomes easier at Chinnaswamy, with chasing teams winning 53.41% of matches played there.
Wankhede Stadium
No ground has hosted as many IPL games as the Wankhede (110). The venue has also been a happy hunting ground for the Mumbai Indians, with the five-time IPL champion winning 48 of the 78 matches it has played there.
The Mumbai ground traditionally favours the batters, with an average run rate of 8.50. The numbers also favour the team batting second, with the chasing side winning 54.13% of the time.
Spinners tend to be more successful at the Wankhede in the IPL, with the slower bowlers going at 7.78 at an over, while the pacers average 8.63 runs an over.
Sawai Mansingh Stadium
Rajasthan Royals boasts an impressive home record at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, surpassed only by Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk. With a win/loss ratio of 1.736, the Royals heavily rely on their home ground for IPL success.
The average run rate at SMS is just above eight runs per over. Chasing is the preferred strategy in Jaipur, with teams batting second winning 65.38% of matches. The average first-innings score at SMS is one of the lowest in the IPL at 159.04 runs.
Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens, the home of the Kolkata Knight Riders, is one of the most high-scoring grounds in the Indian Premier League.
The average run-rate at Eden is 8.29, with an average score close to 160 batting first.
But the biggest highlight of the ground is the support it offers to spinners. Among IPL stadiums to have hosted more than 30 matches, Eden Gardens boasts the second-best spin bowling average (27.25).
With Sunil Narine, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Varun Chakravarthy in its ranks, KKR will look to maximise this attribute to improve its chances in the 2024 season.
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