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The Indian Premier League (IPL) is just four nights' sleep away. While there is a lot of buzz and excitement before the commencement of yet another season of the biggest T20 tournament in the world, it should be noted that the tournament is following a different format this year.
Not only will there be ten teams in the league which has forced the organisers to think of a different scheduling system that will see the teams being divided into two groups, but due to an increased risk of the spread of the Coronavirus while travelling, all the league games are being staged across four venues Maharashtra.
Here in this article, there are all the details regarding the four-match venues for the league stage of IPL 2022.
1. Wankhede Stadium
Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai holds a special place in the hearts of Indian fans. The iconic stadium overlooking the Arabian Sea was the venue of the 2011 World Cup final and witnessed one of the country's most iconic sporting victories as MS Dhoni "finished it off in style" smashing a six to steer Team India to a World Cup title after 28 years.
The 33,000 seater is usually a high-scoring venue and teams look to the chase because of the dew factor. The red soil, as well as the breeze from the sea, ensures that there is pace and bounce but once the ball has lost its shine, spinners can also extract turn from the wicket. Out of the 83 IPL matches played at this venue, teams batting first have won 39 matches, while chasing sides have clinched 43. 1 game ended in a tie.
This year the Wankhede Stadium is set to host 20 league matches.
2. DY Patil Stadium
The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai not only hosts cricket matches but also doubles up as a football venue and has hosted Indian Super League (ISL) games in the past. From the past couple of seasons though even ISL hasn't happened at this venue as the football matches have also been happening inside a bio-secure bubble in Goa. However, the IPL is set to return to its shores this season.
The 45,000 seater has hosted IPL fixtures in the past and hasn't been a high-scoring venue as the others in the list of venues for IPL 2022. The stats again favour the team batting second here. Out of the 17 matches played here, teams batting first have won 7 while the chasing side has won the remaining 10 games. DY Patil Stadium will host 20 matches this season, 3 more than the total number of IPL fixtures it has hosted to date.
3. Brabourne Stadium
The Cricket Club of India-owned Brabourne Stadium is one of the oldest cricket venues in the country and has the unique distinction of hosting India's first-ever T20I match. The wicket here is known to remain consistent throughout with a bit of pace and bounce but at the same time a hint of turn for the spinners. The Brabourne Stadium is not too far away from the Wankhede and is roughly 700 meters away from that venue.
This venue can accommodate 20, 000 people. It is the only venue among the four where the teams batting first has won more IPL matches than chasing ones, however, the sample size is also the least. In the 11 games that have been played here, teams batting first have won six matches while the chasing sides have won five.
This year Brabourne Stadium is set to host 15 IPL matches.
4. MCA Stadium
The Maharashtra Cricket Stadium is located in Pune. It was the home stadium of the now-defunct Pune Warriors India from 2011 to 2013. Later, Rising Pune Supergiants also adopted it as its home venue before it also got defunct. Overall, 38 IPL matches have been staged at this venue with 18 matches going in favour of the team batting first. On other 20 occasions, the chasing side has ended up on the winning side.
Another batter-friendly wicket, spinners also fancy their chance at this venue as the ball might just hold a bit after pitching especially as the game progresses. However, with reports suggesting that there would be 5 pitches in each of the venues, it would be interesting to see how the nature of the wicket changes with a change in the strip being used for the match.
The MCA Stadium will host 15 IPL games this year.