IPL 2026 Pitch Reports: Complete Venue-by-Venue Guide
Understanding pitch conditions is crucial for IPL fantasy picks, betting, and match predictions. Here's our comprehensive guide to every IPL 2026 venue with pitch behaviour, average scores and toss advantage data.
Venue Summary Table
| Venue | Team | Avg 1st Innings | Nature | Dew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinnaswamy, Bengaluru | RCB | 183 | Batting | High |
| Wankhede, Mumbai | MI | 178 | Batting | High |
| Chepauk, Chennai | CSK | 161 | Spin | Low |
| Eden Gardens, Kolkata | KKR | 175 | Balanced | High |
| Narendra Modi, Ahmedabad | GT | 170 | Balanced | Medium |
| Rajiv Gandhi, Hyderabad | SRH | 176 | Batting | Medium |
| Arun Jaitley, Delhi | DC | 174 | Balanced | High |
| Sawai Mansingh, Jaipur | RR | 168 | Spin | Low |
| BRSABV Ekana, Lucknow | LSG | 166 | Balanced | Medium |
| PCA, Mohali | PBKS | 172 | Pace | Medium |
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (RCB)
The smallest ground in IPL with boundaries as short as 56 metres. The drop-in pitch has become flatter in recent years, making it a nightmare for bowlers. Teams have scored 200+ totals here more than any other IPL venue.
- Pitch type: Flat, true bounce
- Avg 1st innings: 183
- Avg powerplay: 52
- 200+ scores (last 3 seasons): 8
- Best strategy: Bowl first (dew makes chasing easier)
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (MI)
A batting paradise in evening matches when dew sets in. The black-soil pitch offers good bounce and carry, suiting pace bowlers early on. However, once the ball gets wet, batting becomes significantly easier.
- Pitch type: Good bounce, pace-friendly early
- Avg 1st innings: 178
- Dew impact: Very significant after 8:30 PM
- Boundary size: 68-75m (medium)
- Best strategy: Bowl first (strong dew advantage)
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (CSK)
The most unique pitch in the IPL. CSK deliberately prepare black-soil pitches with minimal watering to create early turn from overs 1-4. This benefits CSK's spin-heavy approach and makes scoring in the first 6 overs challenging for visiting teams.
- Pitch type: Slow, turning, low bounce
- Avg 1st innings: 161 (lowest among regular IPL venues)
- Spin domination: Spinners average 22.4 at Chepauk vs 28.6 at other venues
- Dew: Minimal (sea breeze dries pitch)
- Best strategy: Bat first (pitch deteriorates)
Eden Gardens, Kolkata (KKR)
India's largest cricket stadium (68,000 capacity) offers a balanced pitch that assists both batters and bowlers. The pitch has good bounce and pace, with some assistance for spinners in the middle overs. Heavy dew makes bowling second a challenge.
- Pitch type: Balanced, good bounce
- Avg 1st innings: 175
- Highest IPL score here: 232/2 (KKR vs MI, 2019)
- Dew: Very heavy after 8 PM
- Best strategy: Bowl first (dew advantage)
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad (GT)
The world's largest cricket stadium (132,000 capacity) offers a balanced pitch. It can be slow early, with assistance for spinners. As the match progresses, the pitch gets better for batting, especially in evening games.
- Pitch type: Balanced to slow
- Avg 1st innings: 170
- Boundary size: Large (75-80m)
- Key factor: Large ground means fewer sixes
- Best strategy: Situational (no clear toss advantage)
Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad (SRH)
A batting-friendly surface that has been the scene of some IPL's highest totals. SRH's 287/3 in 2024 was scored here. True bounce and short straight boundaries make it ideal for power hitters.
- Pitch type: Batting-friendly, true bounce
- Avg 1st innings: 176
- Record score: 287/3 (SRH vs RCB, 2024)
- Key factor: Short straight boundaries
- Best strategy: Bowl first (even surface for chasing)
PCA Stadium, Mohali (PBKS)
One of the few IPL venues that consistently assists pace bowlers. The pitch has good grass cover that helps seamers early, and the ball swings under lights. Mohali at altitude (316m above sea level) adds to the pace bowlers' advantage.
- Pitch type: Pace-friendly, seam movement
- Avg 1st innings: 172
- Swing factor: Significant under lights
- Key factor: Altitude assists pace bowling
- Best strategy: Bat first (pitch gets slower)
Tips for Fantasy & Predictions
- High-scoring venues: Pick extra batsmen for Chinnaswamy, Wankhede, Hyderabad
- Spin-friendly: Stack spinners for Chepauk and Jaipur matches
- Pace-friendly: Load up on fast bowlers for Mohali and early Wankhede games
- Toss advantage: At venues with heavy dew (Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi), teams bowling first have won 58% of matches