Wankhede Stadium Pitch Report, T20 Records & Stats 2026
📍 City: Kolkata
🏟️ Capacity: ~66,000
🏏 Home: Kolkata Knight Riders
About Eden Gardens, Kolkata
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Eden Gardens |
| Location | B.B.D. Bagh, Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Established | 1864 |
| Capacity | ~66,000 spectators |
| IPL Home Team | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) |
| Bowling Ends | High Court End & Club House End |
| Average Boundary | ~70 metres (straight) |
| Flood Lights | Yes |
| Notable Distinction | Largest cricket stadium in India by capacity |
Constructed in 1864, Eden Gardens is one of the oldest cricket stadiums in the world and is also the largest in India with a maximum capacity of roughly 66,000 spectators. In addition to being the largest in the country, Eden Gardens also happens to be one of the most prominent cricket stadiums in the world and is a historic landmark in the city of Kolkata.
Eden Gardens is located in the middle of Kolkata’s B.B.D. Bagh area and is approximately 2.3 km from the bank of the river Hooghly. Eden Gardens is home to the Cricket Association of Bengal, and is also the home ground of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL). There is no other atmosphere quite like an Eden sold out Gardens IPL match, and one will probably never find any other stadium in world cricket that matches the atmosphere.
The Cricket Association of Bengal has hosted test cricket matches that have been played at Eden Gardens since 1934 and has also helped Eden Gardens achieve a place in the record books of cricket by allowing the stadium to record the most historic and unforgettable moments of cricket. Eden Gardens has transformed into one of the most exciting batting stadiums since the advent of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The stadium has quick (and short) outfields and a very large batting area that allows the stadium to achieve very high runs in a match.
However, the most unique factor about Eden Gardens is the fact that the stadium is also one of the most low-lyingly positioned IPL venues to the Hooghly river, and that allows the stadium to create one of the highest levels of dew. This dew, along with the heavy and consistent dew that comes with it, allows the evening matches at Eden Gardens to be almost more strategically planned than the team selections.
The Pitch Report
The pitch at Eden Gardens offers a good balance for batters and bowlers, while the surface is slightly on the batter’s side. The pitch, made of black soil, provides true bounce which encourages batters to have confidence. Batters can utilize their batting shots through the off-side. Eden Gardens offers good short boundaries on the off-side which allows batters to score easily.
The outfield is manicured and can add 4–6 runs due to the fast outfield. Eden Gardens is second to Chepauk which is notorious for being a spinner’s paradise. Eden Gardens is unprecedentedly fair in its treatment of batting and bowling sides in T20 matches in the IPL.
The Eden Gardens surface gives fast bowlers the upper hand and therefore the fast bowlers tend to take the majority of the wickets. The majority of the wickets taken by fast bowlers is in the first 6 overs during the power plays due to the new ball which tends to swing and seam. As the game progresses the spinners come into play.
The variable bounce and the rough can either help in the taking of wickets or can hold up wickets for the fast bowlers in the middle overs (12-16). Eden Gardens is home to Sunil Narine, the leading IPL wicket-taker with 72 wickets in 65 innings. He has used the Eden Gardens surface better than all of the bowlers in the grounds T20 history. Narine’s ability to take sharp wickets from a good length is one of the most difficult to defend.
Eden Gardens for IPL 2026 has recorded an average first innings score of 182 runs, and this is reflected in KKR and other teams ` aggressive batting strategies. The T20 World Cup matches hosted here also showed that first batting teams scored 180-200 runs. Chasing teams, however, win 60% of the time and this figure climbs to 66% of the time when the match is played in the evening due to the Hooghly River dew.
Fantasy players should view this as a batting heavy venue where its best to select 5 players from the top 5 batting positions knowing full well that the spin friendly Chepauk will yield better returns for bowlers than this venue.
Toss Bias & Win Predictor
Eden Gardens has one of the most tell tale and distinct toss bias in IPL history. It is the second most chase friendly venue after Wankede Stadium. There have been 94 matches played at this venue and of the teams that have batted second, 56 have won and 38 have lost. It is predominately due to the Hooghly River dew.
The moisture coming from the river lifts the playing surface from the 12th over. It makes the ball wet, slippery and it is very difficult for spinners to control. Captains that win the toss here choose to bowl and it appears that this consistently rewards those decisions.
Batting First Win %
40%
Chasing Win %
60%
Verdict: The captain winning the toss should give strong consideration to CHASING. The case for chasing at Eden Gardens is one of the strongest in the entire IPL, with 60% of all completed IPL games at Eden won by the chasing team – this climbs to an astounding 66% when the matches are played in the evening.
The dew from the Hooghly River makes spinners all but useless in the second half of the innings after the 12-14 over mark, and gives the batting team a massive advantage during the death overs. The only time it becomes remotely enticing to bat first is if it’s a day game, or when the weather forecast indicates an unusually dry and windless night (as it is in between those two extremes games are a rarity during the entirety of April and May in Kolkata).
Key T20 Records
Average 1st Innings
170
(94 IPL matches)
Highest IPL Total
262/2
(PBKS vs KKR, 2024)
Lowest Defended
129
(KKR vs RCB, 2008)
Wicket Split
Pace: 65%
Spin: 35%
Weather & Dew Factor
Kolkata, in the IPL season is characterised by warm pre-monsoon thunderstorms in May, high humidity and thunderstorms during the warm season. The Eden Gardens cricket stadium is located along the Gangetic plain, at an elevation of 2.3 km above the Hooghly River, a major Ganges tributary. The city experiences high humidity ranging between 70% (during the day) and 27-30 °C at night. April is characterized by a temperature of 34-37 °C. The humidity of the city also increases gradually with the onset of westerly winds from the River Hooghly at around 8:30 PM.
💧 DEW FACTOR: HEAVY – RIVER DRIVEN AND MATCH DECIDING. Eden Gardens has one of the highest levels of dew deposition in the IPL due to general humidity as well as its proximity to the Hooghly River. Because of the river, there is an added influence of evaporative moisture. This moisture is carried by the eastward flowing wind to the Eden Gardens in greater concentration than other more inland venues. By 9:30 – 10 PM (overs 13 to 15 typically of the second innings), the ball is heavily wet, the outfield is quicker as dew has settled on the grass, and spinners lose grip and can’t turn the ball.
In evening matches during April and May, dew has a significant impact on the outcome of more than 70% of games and as a consequence, the chasing team wins 66% of the time. Fielding captains are to deploy all pace options in the death overs and refrain from bowling wrist spin after over 14.
IPL Records at Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens is home to the champions (2012, 2014) and (2023, 2024) champion) Kolkata Knight Riders and their records reflect the boundless aggression of a team built to dominate at home. From PBKS’s astonishing 2024 262 run chase to the phenomenal defeat of RCB at 49 in 2017, this ground has it all.
🏏 Highest IPL Totals at This Venue
| Team | Score | Vs | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| PBKS | 262/2 | KKR | 2024 |
| KKR | 245/6 | SRH | 2024 |
| KKR | 232/2 | MI | 2022 |
| KKR | 222/6 | KXIP | 2018 |
| RCB | 215/5 | KKR | 2016 |
📉 Lowest IPL Totals at This Venue
| Team | Score | Vs | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| RCB | 49 | KKR | 2017 |
| KKR | 82 | KXIP | 2017 |
| KKR | 129/7 | RCB | 2008 |
| Kochi TK | 132/7 | KKR | 2011 |
| KKR | 133/6 | DD | 2008 |
Best Individual Performers at Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens has been a proud host to Gautam Gambhir, as he has led KKR to two titles. He has an incredible 1,462 runs scored at this venue making him synonymous with Eden Gardens and their IPL legacy. Alongside him, Sunil Narine is an all time wicket taker and has explosive batting and bowling.
🔥 Top Individual Scores (IPL) at This Venue
| Batsman | Score | Balls | Strike Rate | Fixture | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rajat Patidar | 112* | 49 | 228 | RCB vs KKR | 2022 |
| Brendon McCullum | 93 | 43 | 216 | KKR vs RR | 2008 |
| Andre Russell | 88* | 36 | 244 | KKR vs SRH | 2019 |
| Sunil Narine | 85 | 36 | 236 | KKR vs RR | 2024 |
| Gautam Gambhir | 93 | 51 | 182 | KKR vs MI | 2011 |
📊 All-Time IPL Run Scorers at This Venue
| Batsman | Runs | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Gautam Gambhir | 1,462+ | KKR |
| Robin Uthappa | 1,160+ | KKR |
| Andre Russell | 1,085+ | KKR |
| Sunil Narine | 980+ | KKR |
| Chris Gayle | 720+ | RCB / KXIP |
🎯 Best Bowling Figures (IPL) at This Venue
| Bowler | Figures | Fixture | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunil Narine | 5 / 19 | KKR vs PBKS | 2012 |
| Mitchell Starc | 4 / 15 | KKR vs DC | 2024 |
| Alzarri Joseph | 4 / 17 | MI vs KKR | 2019 |
| Varun Chakravarthy | 4 / 18 | KKR vs MI | 2022 |
| Dwayne Bravo | 3 / 21 | CSK vs KKR | 2015 |
Fantasy Cricket Tips: Playing a Match at Eden Gardens
🏏 Stack Second Innings Batters
Eden Gardens has the highest value for fantasy cricket able to reach 60% win rate. Especially in the evenings, the batting lineup is at an advantage as dew sets in.
🔄 Pick Andre Russell — Every Time
Andre Russell is a big player at Eden Gardens with an incredible strike rate of over 210 and 1,085 runs making him a dangerous player. If he is playing, he is an automatic pick. With the short boundaries, Russell has a lot of range for his pull shots and scoops especially on the true surface of the pitch.
💧 Avoid Spinners in Second Innings
A significant factor is the Hooghly River dew, which settles from overs 12-14. Therefore, picking a wrist spinner as a primary bowler option for the second innings for Eden Gardens is a very risky fantasy pick because their economy rate goes up a lot once the dew affects the ball. Faster bowlers are a better selection because they are able to bowl effectively with a wet, heavy ball. Death over specialists like Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc are the safest options for bowlers.
Eden Gardens is a great place to have strong, rational, and numbers based fantasy thinking. The advantage for the side chasing is one of the most reliable and repeated phenomena in the history of the IPL. This has occurred 18 times and 94 matches in the Eden Gardens, and in every season, it has proven true.
Place your bets on the top 4 of the chasers and (since middle-order batters score more runs and are more aggressive, he should be your) multiplier pick. Then, build your bowling around one quality death-overs pace bowler, and consider it a batting wicket more than a bowling one, but more the other way than the other. This will be validated by the numbers in every season.