On Wednesday, Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid pointed to the instances of players joining new franchises and the resulting unfamiliarity with the conditions as a reasonable explanation for teams voicing concerns about the lack of home advantage in this IPL. Teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, and Kolkata Knight Riders had expressed dissatisfaction with the pitch conditions at their respective home venues.
Dravid on Home Advantage in IPL Post-Auction
Dravid believes that the home advantage in the IPL may vary depending on the ground and the team’s dynamics. He pointed out that after a major auction, many players are new to the teams and their respective home grounds, making it harder to leverage home advantage right away.
He used examples like Nitish Rana of RR and Phil Salt of RCB to illustrate this point. Both players joined their teams after last year’s mega auction and were playing on new grounds for the first time. Dravid explained that players, even if they are considered home players, are adjusting to new conditions, and that makes home advantage less significant early in the season.
Dravid further emphasized that as the season progresses and players become more acclimatized to the conditions, the significance of home advantage may become more apparent. However, he noted that for now, the impact of home advantage might not be as pronounced due to the changes in team compositions following the auction.