Cricket Editorial Indian Cricket IPL IPL 2025

KKR, CSK and now GT- is there a need to revisit IPL pitch policy?

March 30, 2025
<a href="https://revsportz.in/author/boria/" rel="author" class="url fn n" itemprop="url"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e660b408ca5a915f1c718d0cd98a879b?s=32&d=mm&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e660b408ca5a915f1c718d0cd98a879b?s=64&d=mm&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-32 photo' height='32' width='32' decoding='async'/> <span class="" itemprop="name">Boria Majumdar</span></a>
An image of the Eden Gardens pitch being prepared for the 3rd April game in IPL 2025 (Image: Debasis Sen)

It is very rare that you see Stephen Fleming lose his composure in a press conference. We witnessed this rarity on Friday after CSK’s loss against RCB. Fleming went on to say that they don’t really have any home advantage at the Chepauk and haven’t been able to read the pitch for some years now. Frankly, this meltdown is unusual. Fleming normally has a lid on his temper and isn’t the most temperamental man around. Or, that’s his public persona at least. Parthiv Patel added to the debate last night when he said GT deliberately used a black soil wicket against the Mumbai Indians.

These comments have reignited the pitch debate yet again. With Ajinkya Rahane and Sujan Mukherjee already in the news over the Eden pitch, Fleming and Parthiv have now added to it.

The simple question is whether teams are blaming the pitch instead of looking inward and introspecting more. Or is the frustration fair? With the IPL premised on the home-and-away format, is it not natural that home teams want wickets of their choice?

Chepauk is surprising because the venue and CSK are synonymous. For the groundsman to not give them a wicket of their choice is strange. Is it at all possible to balance things with international cricket and other domestic games played in the same venue all through the year? Can you fundamentally change the nature of wickets only for the IPL? Also, what’s the end point of this debate?

 

The BCCI recommendations for pitch and ground preparation leave no room for confusion. Point 3 on pitch preparation explicitly states: “The Franchise and players shall not have any say in the preparation of the wicket. The BCCI Chief Curator is available to give any advice that is required and will also be able to intervene if any issues arise.” The document further states that pitches should meet the following criteria: Good pace and ball carry, consistent bounce, little lateral seam movement and not excessive turn.

My position on this issue is pretty straightforward. Give home teams the wicket of their choice, and let them be happy. Let there be no complaints or meltdowns. Be it in Kolkata or in Chennai. In bilateral cricket, the home team always has the choice of a wicket. While Rahane never asked for a rank turner, Fleming went a step ahead and said it was impossible to understand the nature of the wicket.

This is where diplomacy comes in. Talks are needed. As is clarity. Sit down with the groundsmen much before the tournament starts and chalk out a plan. Some journalists who are painfully ignorant have written that the groundsmen never have a say on these matters. Try saying that to someone in England and Australia and see the reaction. Every captain or management should sit down with the curator in charge and sort things out well in advance. I am confident no curator would turn down a request. But the moment it turns into an accusation, things turn dire. Social media blows it up and we have a controversy on our hands. And in the end it helps no one.