Sanjay Bangar Supports BCCI’s Role in IPL 2025 Pitch Curation

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and India head coach Sanjay Bangar has backed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in overseeing pitch curation for IPL 2025. He believes BCCI’s intervention helps maintain a fair playing field and prevents teams from exploiting home advantage.

BCCI’s Control Over Pitches

Bangar, speaking to ESPNcricinfo, said BCCI wants to maintain the natural characteristics of each venue. He stressed that if franchises had full control, home teams could manipulate conditions to their advantage, making matches one-sided.

“I think BCCI would still like to have a little bit of control and maintain the characteristics of a particular surface,” Bangar said. He believes some standardization is necessary while still allowing variation based on natural soil differences across India.

Concerns from IPL Franchises

Some franchises, including Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings, have expressed concerns that they are unable to maximize home advantage. However, Bangar believes the BCCI’s intervention ensures fairness across venues.

Pitch Issues at Chinnaswamy Stadium

Bangar also discussed pitch conditions at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium. He highlighted the limited pitch options due to the stadium’s small size. “In RCB, Chinnaswamy, there are only two pitches on which you can play games. Because of the size of the ground, you can’t have much variation,” he said.

RCB recently lost to Gujarat Titans at home, sparking discussions about pitch quality and conditions.

The Importance of Balanced Pitches

Bangar emphasized that a well-balanced pitch enhances the quality of cricket, ensuring that both batters and bowlers have a fair contest. He added that a surface that excessively favors one side can reduce the excitement of T20 matches. By maintaining control, BCCI aims to keep the tournament competitive and engaging for fans.

BCCI’s pitch oversight in IPL 2025 remains a topic of debate. While some teams want more control, Bangar believes centralized intervention ensures competitive balance. The discussion is likely to continue as the tournament progresses.

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