The debate over whether IPL franchises should have a say in pitch conditions revived after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) put on a dominant show against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on a traditionally slower Guwahati wicket. The spinners’ dominance added weight to Ajinkya Rahane’s argument that teams should be able to collaborate on the preparation of the home pitches. The KKR skipper had expressed his disappointment at a press conference following a seven-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL opener at the Eden Gardens. “We would love to see the pitch helping the spin bowlers but again, this wicket was under cover for the last one-and-a-half days,” remarked Rahane.
But the idea was soon firmly shut down by the Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee. “Ever since I have taken charge (as Eden curator), the pitches here have been like this,” he told RevSportz. “It was like this in the past and it will not be altered in the future.” Mukherjee also highlighted that the RCB spinners were able to pick up four wickets among themselves and questioned why the KKR spinners couldn’t do the same.
Point in Rahane’s Favour: Guwahati Proves Spin Works for KKR
Following last night in Guwahati, KKR’s second game of the season, the narrative has taken an interesting turn. The team, playing on a traditionally slow track, dictated terms and exposed RR’s middle order—validating Rahane’s comments.
Moeen Ali, who had stepped in for Sunil Narine in the playing XI, tightened the noose alongside Varun Chakravarty. The KKR spin duo triggered a collapse from 67/1 to 82/5. Moeen finished with figures of 2/23 while Varun, more economical than ever, took 2 wickets and gave away 17 runs while delivering four consecutive dot balls in his final over.
KKR, a franchise that has built their core around spin and showcased their dominance on a pitch that suited their strengths, raised an important question—should they be allowed to have similar conditions at Eden Gardens.
Should IPL Teams Influence Home Pitches?
Unlike ICC tournaments where conditions are neutral, the IPL follows a home–and–away format where conditions have historically played a role in team strategies. The IPL is a private, franchise–driven league, not an ICC event where neutrality is sacred.
At the auction, franchises spend millions and heavily invest in squads that are tailored to their home conditions. If Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are known for leveraging their spin tracks and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) their flat decks, why should KKR be denied the same advantage?
Cricket is a game of conditions, and home advantage is a lever that franchises should be able to pull, within reason. The Guwahati game has all but proved that KKR’s spinners thrive on slower tracks.
Something that needs to be factored in is how dynamically IPL changes— teams, drafts, trades, mega auctions. What worked a few years ago may not necessarily work in the present, and pitch behaviour cannot be frozen in time when the squads are bound to change every couple of years. Franchises should have the flexibility to tweak their home conditions.
On the other hand, the pitch curators’ argument that maintaining a consistent pitch is crucial to the integrity of the game is also well taken. And Mukherjee’s firm stance ensures that franchises don’t doctor the pitch to an extreme degree. There is also a counterpoint that a franchise should tailor their team to the home conditions and not the other way around, and truly great teams should be able to dominate despite the conditions.
With the debate taking over social media, perhaps there is a need for clearer guidelines on pitch influence in the IPL. While curators should be able to call the shots on pitch preparation, a healthy collaboration between captain, franchise and curators would create a fairer balance. If ‘home advantage’ is an important tactical lever, teams should be able to strategise around it. For now, the controversy is unsettled but KKR’s dominant spin performance in Guwahati has definitely added a new layer to Rahane’s argument.