IPL 2022: Each venue set to have five pitches to avoid worn-out surfaces

The four venues chosen to host the IPL 2022 – the Wankhede Stadium, the Brabourne Stadium and the DY Patil Stadium of Mumbai, and the MCA Stadium of Pune – will prepare five pitches to facilitate a series of matches that are scheduled over a period of two months. When the second phase of IPL 2021 resumed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), scuffed pitches were a major concern during the games.

When the tournament was nearing its end in the UAE in 2021, everyone got used to witnessing low scores and a predictable finish to the game. To circumvent this, five pitches will be prepared and made available in advance so as to rotate them anytime necessary during the competition.

“Each venue has five pitches. This will ensure that the pitches are rotated,” ground in-charge Nadim Memon told Times of India. Unlike the 2021 edition of the franchise game and the T20I World Cup, Memon provided clarity upon the matter and dismissed the possibility of the dew factor benefitting the side batting second.

The pitches will be rotated at regular intervals: Nadim Memon

“The dew factor in Mumbai isn’t as big as it is in UAE or north India. The dew only kicks in post 9. 30 pm here, and it can be taken care of by the super-sopper. The second thing is that the clay on the UAE wickets is imported from Pakistan, which means that the bounce isn’t great, neither does the ball turn much,” he said.

The UAE, in a period of two months, hosted 70 matches across three venues, which were Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai. Towards the end, it resulted in worn-out surfaces making the games predictable.

“If you see the wickets in the current Australia-Pakistan series, they’re as flat as they are in the UAE. However, the wickets in Mumbai and Pune will offer exciting cricket. All the grounds are in good shape. We staged 10 IPL matches last year without any hitches. We’ll stage it successfully this time too,” Nadim concluded.