April 3, 2025: Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar shared his insights on the ongoing debate surrounding pitch preparation in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s IPL show, Time Out, Bangar discussed the balance that needs to be struck between franchise input and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) oversight, especially in ensuring fairness across the tournament.
While Bangar acknowledged that franchises should have some say in pitch preparation to cater to regional soil types, he emphasized that the BCCI must maintain some level of control to avoid creating unfair advantages for home teams. The IPL, with its diverse regional conditions, offers an array of soil types—from red soil to black soil—and the variations should be reflected in the pitches. However, Bangar noted that having too much of a say by the home side could tilt the balance in their favor, potentially making the game too lopsided.
“I think BCCI would still like to have a little bit of control over it and maintain the characteristics of a particular surface. If you totally give it to the hands of the franchise, you do not really want the game to be too lopsided as well. So, I’m of the opinion that a little bit of uniformity is necessary,” Bangar stated, advocating for a mix of variety and fairness in the surfaces prepared for IPL matches.
He also pointed out the challenges smaller venues like the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru face in offering significant variations in pitches. “At RCB, Chinnaswamy, there are only two pitches on which you can play games because of the size of the ground, and generally, you can’t have a lot of variation between those two surfaces because it is practically impossible,” he explained.
The issue of pitch preparation has been a hot topic in the early stages of IPL 2025. Kolkata Knight Riders’ head coach Chandrakant Pandit mentioned that his team has minimal or no influence over pitch preparation at Eden Gardens, highlighting the difference in control between venues. Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings’ head coach Stephen Fleming dismissed the notion of a considerable home advantage at Chepauk, acknowledging the difficulty in adapting to their home pitches in recent seasons. Similarly, after their loss to Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants’ mentor Zaheer Khan pointed out that the Ekana Stadium pitch seemed to be tailored more for the opposition team, sparking further discussion about the fairness of pitch preparation across IPL venues.