The Indian Premier League has a unique characteristic – home advantage doesn’t always guarantee a win. In the first 24 matches of IPL 2025, the home team lost over 10 times. Royal Challengers Bangalore is a recent example, losing to Delhi Capitals by 6 wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Gujarat Titans’ COO, Arvinder Singh, weighed in on the debate about home advantage. He’s not alone – Lucknow Super Giants’ mentor Zaheer Khan, Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain Ajinkya Rahane, and CSK’s head coach Stephen Fleming have also spoken out about the lack of home advantage in IPL 2025.
Rules are clear
In an interview with the Times of India, Arvinder Singh was asked if pitches should be prepared to favor the home team. He replied, “The rules of the Indian Premier League have always been clear. Cricket rules should be transparent and equal for everyone.” Singh emphasized that no team has the right to prepare pitches to their advantage, as per IPL rules.
Pitch preparation rules
According to the IPL rulebook, Section 1.11 states that the ground management has full authority over pitch selection, preparation, and match organization. Gujarat Titans, currently at the top of the IPL 2025 points table with 4 wins in 5 matches, has been doing well despite the lack of home advantage.
Singh’s comments come amid a larger conversation about the role of home advantage in the IPL. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how teams adapt to the neutral pitches and whether home teams can turn their fortunes around.