IPL 2025: PITCHES ARE THE 23rd PLAYER

Pitches can hijack plays, reducing matches to- bat vs. pitch, ball vs. pitch, cricket vs. pitch, much to the frustration of 100 million viewers

Should Toss Decide The Winner ?

INTRODUCTION

In cricket, players are judged. Strategies are analyzed. Captains are critiqued.But sometimes, the most influential player on the field isn’t wearing a jersey.

It’s the 22 yards underfoot — the pitch — and when it misbehaves, it doesn’t just affect the game. It hijacks it.

PITCHES THE INVISIBLE MANIPULATOR

A pitch isn’t just a surface — it’s a stage. And when the stage is warped, the entire performance falls apart. We expect the contest to be bat vs. ball. But sometimes, it is reduced to bat vs. pitch, ball vs. pitch, cricket vs. pitch.

The unpredictable nature of IPL pitches continues to be one of cricket's great equalizers, capable of undermining even the most star-studded teams when conditions don't suit their strengths. Understanding and adapting to these varying 22-yard strips remains a crucial differentiator between champions and those who do not succeed in the world's premier T20 league.

The IPL is played across multiple venues throughout India, each with distinctive pitch characteristics. This variety itself creates strategic complexity, as teams must constantly adapt to dramatically different conditions. Teams built with specific strengths—whether pace bowling, spin bowling, or power hitting—can find themselves at a severe disadvantage when pitch conditions unexpectedly negate their core competencies. We have identified some of the factors that could hijack an inning

1.    The Varied Nature of IPL Surfaces

The IPL is played across multiple venues throughout India, each with distinctive pitch characteristics. This variety itself creates strategic complexity, as teams must constantly adapt to dramatically different conditions. Teams built with specific strengths—whether pace bowling, spin bowling, or power hitting—can find themselves at a severe disadvantage when pitch conditions unexpectedly negate their core competencies.

2.    Spin-Friendly Surfaces

Traditional IPL venues like Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) have historically favoured spin bowling. These surfaces often feature:

• Dry, abrasive characteristics that create natural rough patches

• Slower pace and lower bounce as matches progress

• Significant turn, especially in the second innings

Teams with pace-heavy bowling attacks have frequently struggled on these surfaces, while batsmen unaccustomed to quality spin bowling find their techniques exposed. Conversely, teams with multiple quality spinners gain a substantial advantage.

3.    Dew Factor and Evening Matches

One of the most well-documented factors affecting IPL pitches is the evening dew present during night matches, particularly in venues across northern India. The impact includes:

• Significant difficulty for bowlers to grip the wet ball

• Reduced effectiveness of spin bowling as the ball slides onto the bat

• Easier batting conditions in the second innings

This dew factor has proven so influential that winning the toss and choosing to field first has become a common strategy in evening matches, creating a potential imbalance in the competition before the first ball is bowled.

4.    The UAE Experiment

When IPL matches were held in the UAE (2014, 2020, and part of 2021), teams encountered distinctly different pitch behaviours:

• Initially hard and flat surfaces that favoured pace bowling

• Progressive wearing that increasingly favoured spin bowling

• Lower scoring patterns compared to many Indian venues

These conditions created significant challenges for teams whose strategies were developed for typical Indian conditions, highlighting how pitch characteristics can fundamentally alter the balance between bat and ball.

5.    Weather Effects on Pitch Behaviour

Weather conditions have significant and sometimes unpredictable effects on IPL pitches:

• Rain-affected pitches often provide unexpected assistance to seam bowlers

• Extreme heat can cause pitches to dry out and crack, creating variable bounce

• Humidity affects how much the ball swings through the air

Teams must rapidly adjust their approaches when weather alters expected pitch behavior, sometimes necessitating complete strategy overhauls mid-tournament.

6.    The Challenge of "Two-Paced" Surfaces

Perhaps the most challenging pitches in IPL history have been the "two-paced" surfaces where:

• Some deliveries hurry through to the batsmen

• Others hold in the surface and come slower off the pitch

• Identical bowling deliveries produce dramatically different results

These inconsistent surfaces create significant difficulties for batsmen timing their shots and have resulted in many low-scoring, difficult-to-predict matches where skilled players appear to struggle with basics.

HOW PITCHES HIJACKED THE INNINGS? – SOME CASE STUDIES

1.    2025 ICC CHAMPIONS TROPY - PITCHES SPUN THE BALL – JUST THE WAY INDIA WANTED

Indians had the advantage of playing all its matches at Dubai, where the pitch conditions heavily favoured India's formidable spin quartet of Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja, who exploited the spin-friendly conditions with devastating effect.

·       Dry surfaces - Dubai's arid climate produced pitches that progressively cracked and deteriorated, creating natural variations that India's spinners expertly exploited.

·       Low bounce - Unlike the true bounce of Australian or English wickets, Dubai's lower bounce significantly hampered batsmen's ability to execute aggressive shots against spin, particularly when attempting to counter turn.

·       Grip and turn - The abrasive surface provided exceptional grip, enabling India's spinners to generate sharp turn, especially as matches progressed and footmarks developed.

2.    IPL 2021 - CHENNAI'S SPIN MAZE

Match: Mumbai Indians vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chepauk (April 17, 2021)

Mumbai Indians, the defending champions, were restricted to just 150/5 on a challenging Chennai pitch. The surface progressively deteriorated, with significant turn assisting spinners. When Sunrisers Hyderabad batted, they collapsed to 137 all out, with spinners Rahul Chahar and Krunal Pandya taking a combined 5 wickets.

SRH captain David Warner explicitly addressed the pitch conditions post-match: "The Chennai wicket definitely slowed down... it's very different from what we expected."

3.    IPL 2020 - SHARJAH'S DRAMATIC TRANSFORMATION

Tournament Trend: Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

Early in IPL 2020, Sharjah produced extremely high-scoring matches:

• RR scored 216/7 against CSK (September 22)

• KXIP scored 223/2 against RR (September 27)

However, as the tournament progressed, the same venue's pitches slowed dramatically:

• Later matches saw average first innings scores drop below 150

• In the Qualifier 2, Delhi Capitals managed only 131/7 against Sunrisers Hyderabad

Delhi’s Coach Ricky Ponting Confirmed “The wickets did change significantly from the first half of the tournament.”

4.     IPL 2019: DELHI CAPITALS': DELHI'S TWO-FACED PITCH

Match: Delhi Capitals vs. Kings XI Punjab at Feroz Shah Kotla (April 20, 2019)

The Delhi pitch exhibited extreme two-paced nature, with the ball sometimes stopping in the surface and other times skidding through. Kings XI Punjab were restricted to 163/7 despite a good start.

Captain R. Ashwin specifically noted: "The pitch was tacky and was two-paced. It was coming nicely onto the bat for the first six overs but slowed down dramatically afterward."

5.    IPL 2018 - EDEN GARDENS SEAM MOVEMENT

Match: Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore (April 8, 2018)

On an unusually green Eden Gardens surface, Royal Challengers Bangalore's star-studded batting lineup was dismissed for just 109 runs, with KKR's pace bowlers exploiting significant seam movement.

RCB captain Virat Kohli acknowledged: "The wicket was the most difficult we've played on so far. Their bowlers executed their plans perfectly on a pitch that offered extra bounce and movement."

6.    IPL 2022 - WANKHEDE'S DEW FACTOR

Match: Mumbai Indians vs. Lucknow Super Giants (April 16, 2022)

Mumbai Indians posted a competitive 177/5 in the first innings, but the pitch transformed completely under heavy evening dew. LSG captain KL Rahul noted how the conditions changed: "I think the dew played a big part in the second innings. The pitch became much easier to bat on, and the ball was coming onto the bat nicely."

LSG chased down the target with 4 balls to spare as the dew made it nearly impossible for Mumbai's bowlers to grip the ball properly.

Cricket is evolving. Players are faster, shots are bolder, and strategies are smarter. The pitch has to keep up, not trip everyone up.

7.    IPL 2025 – RAJIV GANDHI INT. STADIUM – MADE SEAMERS STRUGGLE

Match: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings (April 12, 2025)

Traditionally known for its batting-friendly nature, offers consistent bounce and minimal lateral movement. In this particular match, the surface lived up to its reputation, facilitating a high-scoring encounter where both teams amassed significant totals.​

On this batter’s pitch, Shreyas Iyer and Abhishek Sharma left no stones unturned to get the best out of the pitch - respectively hitting 82 runs in 26 balls and 141 runs in 55 balls. Dew factor in the evening possibly made the pitch even more favourable for batting, reducing any grip or turn for spinners.​ Outfield conditions were quick, further aiding boundary scoring

The ballers struggled all through the match.

Seamers found it difficult to swing the ball making it difficult to contain the aggressive batters. Variations in pace and length proved to be ineffective due to the pitch's uniformity.​.

Spinners could only manage a minimal turn and bounce, offering little threat to batters. Dew further diminished grip, making it challenging to extract any assistance from the surface.​

Sunrisers got the advantage of playing the second inning and amassed in 18.3 overs

CONCLUSION: THE 23RD PLAYER IF NOT MONITORED – 100 MILLION SCREENS WILL TIME OUT

Because if the surface isn’t right, no tactic will work, no star will shine — and the fans, all 100 million screens of them, will tune out. And in IPL, that’s the real wicket lost. This is especially very true in T20s where timing, rhythm, and confidence matter more than patience — a dodgy pitch kills the product.

The unpredictable nature of IPL pitches continues to challenge even the most meticulously planned team strategies, reminding players and fans alike that in cricket, the ground beneath your feet often determines your fate more decisively than the opposition. When pitches hijack the IPL, they don't just influence matches—they rewrite scripts entirely.