Taking a look at each team’s home performance in the IPL as we approach the halfway stage of the tournament.
With the IPL halfway through, we are taking a look at how each team has performed to keep their home court intact.
Delhi Capitals
Before Mitchell Starc led DC to a decisive victory against SRH, they played their first two home games in Visakhapatnam, where Ashutosh Sharma’s heroics in the closing innings enabled them to pull off a spectacular heist against LSG. DC suffered their first loss of the season after arriving in Delhi, losing to MI in a game that finished in a hat-trick of run-outs. At home, the excitement persisted as DC defeated RR in the first Super Over of the season, with Tristan Stubbs hitting the game-winning six. They had won twice on the road before falling to GT in Ahmedabad.
Chennai Super Kings
With Noor Ahmad working his magic, CSK, a squad known for taking advantage of home circumstances, got off to a perfect start in Chepauk, defeating MI. But things took a turn for the worst when the team lost three straight games at home. The most painful thing was losing against RCB. The pitch, which appeared to favour seamers over spinners, was openly criticised by head coach Stephen Fleming. They recorded their lowest-ever IPL score at home against KKR. They had three losses and one victory away from Chepauk.
Mumbai Indians
Hardik Pandya won all three tosses at Wankhede Stadium and decided to chase, relying on the stadium’s propensity for favouring teams batting second. MI easily defeated KKR and SRH by first limiting their opponents to subpar totals and then comfortably pursuing them. They set up a rock-hard surface for the match against RCB, and MI finished second best in a high-scoring shootout that saw 430 runs scored in 40 overs. MI has had difficulty away from Mumbai, winning just one of their last four games.
Kolkata Knight Riders
During the first week, Eden Gardens’ surface was the centre of attention. After the season-opening pitch against RCB backfired, skipper Ajinkya Rahane demanded a slower surface that would better suit their spinners. In their next home game, they easily defeated a faltering SRH, although Rahane once again made comments after the game suggesting the track wasn’t what the team had requested. They have a mixed away record, winning two of their last four games.
Gujarat Titans
Red and black soil are the two sorts of pitches available at GT’s home field in Ahmedabad, and they have cleverly utilised both to outperform their rivals. GT chose a black-soil surface against MI, who are used to red-soil grounds in Mumbai. Against RR, they reverted to a red-soil track, where their seamers excelled. Their lone home loss occurred in their first game, where GT lost by 11 runs to PBKS’s 243 for 5. They have recorded two victories and one loss outside of Ahmedabad.
Lucknow Super Giants
When LSG lost to PBKS at home, they were disappointed with the performance they received. Zaheer Khan, the mentor, even made a joke about how the opponents seemed to have brought their own curator to prepare the pitch. However, LSG eventually got their desire for slower courses, as they won two straight at home thanks to a combination of brilliant top-order play and incisive bowling. Nevertheless, CSK reversed the situation, as their spinners held LSG to a subpar score. However, LSG has had a great time travelling, winning three of their last four games.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
With a score of 286 for 6 in their home opener, SRH was dazzling and there were rumours that they would hit the IPL’s first-ever 300. However, on slower Hyderabad courses, the 2024 runners-up were quickly overtaken by their own circumstances and lost badly against LSG and GT. Abhishek Sharma’s scorching 141 off 55 balls propelled a successful chase of 246 as they triumphantly overcame PBKS. This season, SRH has failed to record a victory outside of Hyderabad.
Rajasthan Royals
With only two victories in eight games this season—one at home and one away—RR has found it difficult to gain traction. After losing badly to KKR to start the season, they only managed one home victory over CSK in Guwahati, thanks to a scorching knock from Nitish Rana. In Jaipur, Avesh Khan’s outstanding end-overs effort condemned RR to a loss in a match they appeared to be winning, while Phil Salt and Virat Kohli easily chased down 174. They have three losses, including a Super Over loss to DC, and an equally inconsistent away record.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The only team still without a home victory this season is RCB. They were requested to bat first each time, which is a challenging task at a stadium with small boundaries, and they have lost all three tosses at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Mohammed Siraj, a former squad member, destroyed them in their opening match, and KL Rahul of Karnataka dominated his “home” pitch to give them a second loss. In a low-scoring match against PBKS that was cut short by weather, they suffered their third defeat. RCB has been excellent away from home, winning all of their away games thus far, but their home form has been problematic.
Punjab Kings
PBKS lost badly against RR in their first home game after winning two straight away games. After that, Priyansh Arya’s first century helped PBKS win a strange match against CSK in which five of their top six players fell short of double figures. In their subsequent home game, PBKS created history by defending just 111 against KKR, the lowest successful defence in IPL history. The hosts were suppressed by RCB’s spinners in their final match in New Chandigarh. For the rest of their home games, PBKS will now move to Dharamsala. They have performed admirably on the road, winning three of their first four games.