I think still BCCI would like to have a little bit of control over it: Sanjay Bangar on IPL pitch conditions

ANI April 3, 2025 159 views

Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar has weighed in on the ongoing IPL pitch preparation debate. He suggests that while franchises should have input, the BCCI must maintain some control to ensure fair play. Bangar highlights the challenges of creating consistent yet diverse pitches across India's varied geographical conditions. His comments come amid growing discussions about home team advantages and pitch preparation strategies in the Indian Premier League.

"I think BCCI would still like to have a little bit of control over it" - Sanjay Bangar
New Delhi April 3: Former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar believed that while franchises should have some say in pitch preparation, the BCCI should maintain a degree of control in the Indian Premier League to ensure fairness and prevent extreme imbalances in the game.

Key Points

1

BCCI should guide pitch preparation to prevent extreme home advantages

2

Regional soil variations require careful pitch management

3

Smaller venues face unique pitch development challenges

While speaking on ESPNcricinfo's IPL show, Time Out, he said that while allowing for variations based on regional soil types, some uniformity is necessary to prevent home teams from having too much advantage.

"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 [of having] a little bit of uniformity wherein not having too much of a say for the home side, still there is enough variety in terms of the vast nature of our country wherein cricket is played all across the nation, in itself has variations in terms of red soil, black soil and all of that. I'm of the opinion that a little bit of direction or guideline is always better." Sanjay Bangar said while speaking on ESPNcricinfo's IPL show, Time Out.

Bangar proposed that it could be more challenging for teams to develop pitches with diverse characteristics at smaller venues like the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where only the center two pitches are used for IPL matches.

"In 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 to do that," he added.

These have been key discussion points during the initial weeks of IPL 2025. Kolkata Knight Riders' head coach Chandrakant Pandit has stated that his team has minimal or no influence over pitch preparation at Eden Gardens.

Chennai Super Kings' head coach Stephen Fleming has rejected the idea that his team has a considerable home advantage at Chepauk, noting that they have had difficulties interpreting their home pitches in recent seasons. Following his team's loss to Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants mentor Zaheer Khan indicated that the Ekana pitch appeared as though it had been prepared by the curator from the opposing team.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Bangar makes a fair point here. Some standardization is needed while keeping regional characteristics. Can't have teams preparing minefields or roads just to suit their strengths. Good balance is key! 👍
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Priya M.
As a CSK fan, I disagree with the home advantage narrative. We've struggled at Chepauk too! Pitches should be fair but interesting - that's what makes IPL exciting. Too much control from BCCI might make everything too same-y.
A
Arjun S.
Respectfully, I think Bangar is missing the point slightly. The beauty of IPL is the diversity of conditions across India. If we standardize too much, we lose that unique flavor. Let the pitches reflect their regions!
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Sneha R.
The Chinnaswamy example is spot on! With only 2 pitches available, how much variation can you really create? This discussion shows how complex cricket administration really is behind the scenes.
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Vikram J.
Zaheer Khan's comment about the Ekana pitch is hilarious 😂 Shows how emotional everyone gets about pitch conditions. At the end of the day, good teams adapt to any surface!
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Neha P.
Interesting perspective! I never thought about how limited some stadiums are with pitch options. Maybe BCCI should invest in better ground maintenance across all venues instead of controlling preparation?

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
IPL 2025 Pitch Conditions Sanjay Bangar Cricket BCCI T20 Cricket
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