Where Did the Fortress Go? Why Home Advantage Crumbled in IPL 2025

Do you remember the days when Chennai was a spin fortress, Eden Gardens was a batting paradise, and Chinnaswamy was a bowlers’ graveyard? Yeah, those days seem like a long time ago. The introduction of IPL 2025 adds an unexpected twist — or maybe googly — to the long-held belief of home ground advantage. Over the 58 games this season, the comfort of home ground advantage has almost completely disappeared. Home teams are losing more than winning, and fans are scratching their heads, asking, Wait, aren’t we supposed to win at home? Let’s dig deeper to uncover why what once felt familiar now seems so foreign.

When Home Feels Like Away: The Pitch Control Conundrum

Let’s begin with the pitch — literally. One of the biggest reasons home teams lost their advantage this season is the pitch itself. Traditionally, franchises would curate their pitches to help them play to their strengths. Chennai would mess it up for the spinners; Bangalore would provide a batting highway for their big hitters.

Despite this, IPL 2025 was the first season where the BCCI applied greater workflow centralization in pitch curation. It may have ensured a fairer bat-ball balance and neutral surfaces, but it equally took away from the home teams what is arguably their greatest strategic weapon. Typically, this is a significant tactical plus as it is something Chennai Super Kings were known for exploiting in spin-friendly conditions, and they were not happy with the surfaces they wanted. When even Chennai loses at home, you know things are not right.

Also read:- BCCI Isn’t Playing Around—Foreign Stars Told to Pack Their Bags for IPL 2025

Mega Auctions, Mini Chemistry

Another sneaky factor? The post-mega auction hangover. IPL 2025 was the first season after a significant player reshuffle, and many teams entered with newly assembled teams. For a lot of players, “home” was just a word on a fixture list, and not somewhere they knew how to play on.

Chemistry, of course, doesn’t happen overnight, and understanding the local conditions takes time. Often, in a very short space of time and with limited options for preparation, some groups just can’t afford to get comfortable with their venues. In terms of assessment, a bowler who doesn’t know how dew might alter swing at Wankhede, or a batter who doesn’t know how red soil at Ahmedabad behaves after six overs, can be a million miles from greatness to disaster.

That foreignness was evident. Teams like RCB, who have relied heavily on Chinnaswamy’s run fest, were surprisingly better on the road. Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans had the advantage of using their various pitch types — black soil, red soil, and mixed soil — and could outsmart teams not only by sheer home advantage but by tactical manipulation. Adaptability became the new home advantage.

The Rise of the Road Warriors

This is where it gets interesting, as while home teams endured struggles, some franchises found a way to break the traditional mold. Punjab Kings, who are a reincarnation of home loss on most occasions, put together a solid away record after standing up positive about playing at multiple home venues (Dharamshala, for example) and provided the variability, continuously changing their team to match the conditions.

RCB also flipped the script. The team that is typically feared at home and weak away became the away team this year. The wins came from everywhere in different conditions, and showed that a consistent dressing room or cheering crowd doesn’t hold up when compared to finding ways to adapt and get the right matchups.

What do you think – has the era of fortress wins gone, or will franchises look to win back their territory in the next season? Let the debate commence!