The Indian Premier League has always been a tournament that has thrived on territorial dominance with its home and away format. But this season the ‘home advantage’ debate keeps heating up, and last night it was once again back in the spotlight—when Kolkata Knight Riders handed Chennai Super Kings a crushing 8-wicket defeat at the impenetrable fortress of Chepauk.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t just one back night for CSK, the franchise has now lost five games on the trot. The ‘home advantage’ debate was sparked earlier this season when Ajinkya Rahane publicly expressed that he would prefer a spin-friendly track at the Eden Gardens to which the pitch curator had said that he would only follow BCCI guidelines which say that franchises should not have a say in how a pitch is curated. Ever since then KKR have struggled to find rhythm at home, only winning two out of their five matches. But their dominant wins in Guwahati and Chepauk might have just proven Rahane right.
On a turning surface where the ball was gripping, KKR’s spin trio of Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarty and Moeen Ali wreaked havoc, scalping six wickets between them and bundling out CSK for a below par total of 103, while CSK batters looked out of depth, KKR batters chased down the total in 11 overs.
“We didn’t have enough runs on the board. The ball stopped, even in the first innings. With quality spinners, it is difficult. We didn’t get partnerships either,” admitted MS Dhoni, reflecting that the team has been struggling to adapt to their home conditions. Similarly, Stephen Fleming too recently echoed similar concerns, admitting that in the last couple of years the team hasn’t been able to read the wickets well and that there is no real ‘home advantage’ for CSK at the Chepauk anymore.
There is a bit of irony in these arguments that is hard to ignore. While CSK has expressed a desire for slow, turning tracks that historically suit their style of play, on the other hand, their batters have struggled on those very surfaces. It begs a deeper question: is home advantage real anymore if teams can’t dictate or decode their own pitches?
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Their top order has been toothless and their batting approach seems to be outdated, with no real power hitters in the lineup, they are susceptible to collapses against oppositions that bat deep and aggressive. And with a modestly-powered batting attack CSK have been unable to put enough runs on the scoreboard, every single time.
While everyone argued that Rahane’s comments about wanting spin assistance at the Eden Gardens were premature, KKR’s performances on spin friendly pitches—first in Guwahati, then in Chennai have only strengthened his stance. Without that edge at home KKR look like a mediocre team at the Eden.
As franchises grapple with balancing team combinations and finding a middle-ground with pitch curators and home advantages, the debate is no longer about support or familiarity. The debate has now turned into a tactical control in a league that is becoming increasingly homogenised. If Chepauk’s fortress can fall and Eden Gardens feels like neutral ground, maybe the IPL needs to rethink what ‘home’ really means.
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It’s the end of a cycle for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Time for a reboot, but MS Dhoni doesn’t want to ‘match somebody else or some other team’. #IPL2025 Writes @shamik100 https://t.co/afM4OZwazw
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) April 12, 2025