It's been a week since the IPL 2025 season kicked off, and there's already plenty to discuss. A heated debate about home advantage has sparked after Kolkata curator Sujan Mukherjee turned down Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane's request to adjust the pitch to favor spin bowling. Mukherjee referenced BCCI regulations, stating he wouldn't change the pitch conditions.

In the midst of all this buzz, Gujarat Titans assistant coach Parthiv Patel shared how his team planned to take on the five-time champions, Mumbai Indians, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

During an interview with the host broadcaster for Match 9 of this lucrative league's 18th season, Parthiv mentioned that the franchise specifically requested a black soil pitch for their game against the Hardik Pandya-led team.

"This pitch is on the slower side, which is exactly what we wanted. Mumbai has been getting ready by playing on a red surface. It was a strategic move on our part," Parthiv Patel explained.

We were keen to play on black soil. It’s a bit damp and stickier at the beginning. My first impression is that the pitch has quite a few cracks, he mentioned.

Choosing a black soil pitch for the game against the Mumbai Indians really worked in our favor, as the Gujarat Titans secured a solid 36-run victory.

After the match, Gill shared the reasoning behind opting for a black soil pitch, stating, “We decided before our first game that the second match (against MI) would be on black soil. Sure, MI has a strong batting lineup, but this pitch really suited our style.”

CSK coach claims there’s no advantage of playing at home

After the defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming shared his thoughts on the ongoing discussion about pitch conditions. He pointed out that his team doesn't really have a "home advantage" since they haven't been able to figure out the Chepauk pitch for the past two years.

Traditionally, the Chennai pitch has favored spinners, but recently, fast bowlers have started to shine, and scoring runs has become somewhat easier.

"We've been saying for years that there’s no real home advantage at Chepauk. We've managed to win a few games away from home. Honestly, we haven't been able to read the wickets here for the last couple of years. So, this isn't a new issue for us. Every day, we’re just trying to adapt to what we have, and it’s unpredictable," Fleming told reporters during the post-match press conference.

"It’s not the Chepauk we used to know, where you could easily play four spinners. Now, we have to put in a lot of effort to understand the characteristics of each pitch, and they’re quite different," he added.

Read Also: IPL 2025: Hardik Pandya Slapped with INR 12 Lakh Fine in Defeat to Former Team

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