IPL 2025-Home Advantage Is Missing This Season

Something strange is occurring in the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League. Playing at home has not really benefited most of the teams this time around. Teams that are accustomed to performing well at their homegrounds are struggling now. Instead of being confident on familiar terrain they are looking lost. Even veteran players are struggling to read the pitches they believed they were familiar with. Tosses are critical and teams do not know whether they should go by their intuition or continuously adapt to what appears to be erratic pitch behavior.

Rahul Dravid currently leading the Rajasthan Royals provided a new perspective on why home teams are underperforming. His side has won only one game at home this season. Dravid justified that one big reason could be the massive auction that took place prior to this season. There have been several players who have changed teams and some who have played in a new stadium for the first time. He said although a player is a part of a team now they may not be fully at home as yet. For instance he spoke about Phil Salt who played for Kolkata and is now with Bangalore. And Nitish Rana who has joined Rajasthan is playing in Jaipur for the first time. So even the so-called home players are still adjusting to their environment.

Dravid also raised a humorous but true scenario. Some of the touring players have featured in more games at some of the grounds than the existing home players. For example RCB have lost three home games and these defeats were inflicted by players such as KL Rahul Mohammed Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal who have ample experience at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Dravid teased that if you come across a retired RCB player just add him to the starting XI because he may be familiar with the conditions more than your current team.

Only a handful of teams such as Delhi Capitals Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians have managed to win more matches than they lost at home this season. The others are struggling and that has left people wondering if there is actually any home advantage at all in IPL 2025. Dravid believes that as the tournament wears on and teams spend more time together on their home grounds the advantage could gradually come back. But at present things are close and all teams are fighting tooth and nail. The competition level is extremely close and that alone might be nullifying any advantage a home team could be having.

RCB has been a prime example of this bizarre home form. They have been convincing in away matches but not so consistent at home. Their home ground at Bengaluru has been dodgy with an unpredictable bounce. In their recent home matches they found it difficult to score huge totals. In one match they could only score 95 runs in 14 overs. But Dravid who is well familiar with this pitch as he is from Bengaluru said that the situation may be different in the second match. He met the groundsman and informed him that the earlier pitch had been covered for long which caused it to act abnormally. But the new one looks like a proper batting wicket and could result in a high-scoring game.

With Rajasthan Royals languishing low in the points table Dravid realizes his team cannot afford any more slips. He remarked that they will have to win nearly every game from now and can no longer afford to lose. Each match is like a final for them and they will have to continue climbing the table if they wish to remain in the tournament.

This season has taught us that familiar territory doesn't always feel like home. Players are adapting to new sides and new surroundings. Home advantage that used to bring teams that little bit of extra is now unpredictable. As the league progresses fans and clubs alike are keeping fingers crossed the pitches get more predictable and the players adapt better. Until then each game stays very much open and nothing can be taken for granted even at home.