Wankhede Stadium Pitch Report, T20 Records & Stats 2026
📍 City: New Delhi
🏟️ Capacity: ~41,820
🏏 Home: Delhi Capitals
About Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Arun Jaitley Stadium |
| Former Name | Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium |
| Popular Name | “Qila Kotla” (among Delhi fans) |
| Location | Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, India |
| Established | 1883 |
| Capacity | ~41,820 spectators |
| IPL Home Team | Delhi Capitals (DC) |
| Bowling Ends | Pavilion End & Pocket End |
| Average Boundary | ~65 metres (straight) |
| Flood Lights | Yes |
| Notable Distinction | Second oldest active cricket ground in India; within the ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla Fort |
Arun Jaitley Stadium is among the most important cricket grounds in India history being the second oldest active cricket ground in the country opening in 1883 over 130 years befor the IPL even existed. The venue was previously known as Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium and was renamed in August 2019 to honor the late Arun Jaitley who was the Minister of Finance of India and a long serving President of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).
What makes this venue even more fascinating is the fact that it is located in the ruins of the 14th century Feroz Shah Kotla Fort built by Firuz Shah Tughlaq. This means the stadium is one of the very few sport venues in the world that is located within a UNESCO World Heritage Site which are 14th century archaeological sites. Delhi cricket fans affectionately refer to the stadium as Qila Kotla (Fortress Ground).
The DDCA operates this facility and has also is home to Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL. In 2023, there was a major renovation of the pitch. This rubberized the surface and changed the character of the facility. Before 2023, the Feroz Shah Kotla was known for its low, turning surfaces, which made it one of the most spin friendly and low scoring IPL venues in the country.
After the renovation, the surface has been changed to a flatter, harder construction that allows for high scoring and effective pace bowling, aligning with the expectation of the modern, batting-heavy IPL. The Kotla has a seating capacity of approximately 41,820, and the square boundaries are 63-67 meters; making it one of the highest scoring venues in the league.
The Pitch Report
The Arun Jaitley Stadium IPL pitch is the most balanced surface of all the venues, and it provides the most genuine competition between bat and ball throughout both innings. The renovation works have flattened the pitch a lot compared to the previous low and slow Kotla pitch, but the surface retains enough character to keep the bowlers in the game. The outfield is quick and well maintained. A properly hit ball will go to the boundary.
All the fast bowlers will enjoy the bounce and carry throughout the innings at the Pavilion End, where the slightly harder sub-surface will also reward a full-length attacking approach. The outfield also has moderate grip and varies bounce due to the surface wearing out unevenly throughout the innings.
Even with post-renovation changes to the venue, spinners will still be the main strategic force because the venue is still made for spinning. This will also favour Kotla’s all-time wicket taker, Amit Mishra, who has the most number of wickets in the IPL (76) at this venue in 15 seasons. Mishra has been able to capture all of those wickets because he knows how to use the natural grip and variable bounce from the venue’s floor.
Fast bowlers take roughly 62 percent of all wickets at all stadiums, but spinners take the other 38 percent, which is the highest percentage at any venue in the IPL, with the exception of Chepauk. The Arun Jaitley Stadium is the most complex and balanced venue in the IPL because of the ability to use spinners and fast bowlers in a balanced way.
At the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the average first-innings IPL score is 174 runs which is sufficiently above par, but it is measurably lower at Wankhede, or Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, which are both very batting heavy. In the history of the league, the Arun Jaitley Stadium is the most evenly balanced large venue, with first batting teams winning 47 matches and first chasing teams winning 49 matches out of 97 matches played. This also shows that the outcome of the toss is less important than at any other venue in the IPL. Therefore, fantasy gamers should not default to ‘always back the chasers’ at Kotla because the pitch data shows both strategies give similar results.
Toss Bias & Win Predictor
Of all the IPL venues, the toss at the Arun Jaitley Stadium is the most statistically irrelevant — and that is important information. In 97 completed matches, the first batting team has won 47 matches (49%) and the chasing team has won 49 (51%). In 18 seasons of IPL cricket, that is a two-win difference. No other IPL venue has this symmetry. This is important because, at this venue, the match is not determined by the toss, but by the team with better batting depth, better bowling, and better execution on the day. This understanding helps remove the psychological burden of the toss and allows for more accurate match analysis.
Batting First Win %
49%
Chasing Win %
51%
Verdict: When it comes to taking a stand on whether or not a team should bat or bowl first, it is safe to say that your best bet is to remain neutral. In terms of evaluating other factors not related to the toss, such as the type of team and quality of bowlers, the players really dictate the result of the match, as opposed to whether the team is batting or bowling first.
Only one of the 39 recorded matches on Kotla’s ground has been recorded as a 2+ run losing margin. In fact, in the year 2025, when 278 runs were scored as a team, with only 3 runners out, that is not something a team can look to as a target when deciding which of their top players they would like to bowl first. 163 runs were scored as a team, and the CSK bowlers were credited with the win. In 2023, when the CSK bowlers were credited with winning, it certainly wasn’t because of the toss.
In fact, it is clear that the only reason the fantasy players of the winning team will end up with a win is not because of the toss, but rather because of the strategy related to the form of the players. The players of the winning team will not win just because of the toss, but rather through the form of the players, the strategy related to the form of the players, and the head to head matchups of the players.
Key T20 Records
Average 1st Innings
174
(97 IPL matches)
Highest IPL Total
278/3
(SRH vs DC, 2025)
Lowest Defended
84
(DC vs CSK, all T20)
Wicket Split
Pace: 62%
Spin: 38%
Weather & Dew Factor
Delhi is a city located approximately 1,400 kilometres from the nearest coast and is geographically located in the Gangetic plains region of Northern India. Therefore, the climatic conditions of the IPL season are extreme compared to all the other venues of the league. In Delhi, the month of April is the hottest, with a consistent and rapid rise in temperature.
During daytime, the highs are normally between 38-42 degrees Celcius. Furthermore, there are strong dry winds from the West, called the Loo winds, which originate from the Thar desert and bring dry and warm air. Evening matches begin at 7:30 PM and by then, the temperature drops to 28 – 32 degrees Celcius with humidity at 35 – 50% which is quite a significant difference, as the IPL venues located near the coast. As May arrives, the pre-monsoon season starts, then the humidity increases and the Loo winds become less strong, leading to a gradual increase in moisture.
💧 DEW FACTOR: LOW IN APRIL, MODERATE IN MAY — MONITOR MATCH DATE. Dew is an unavoidable phenomenon. However, Arun Jaitley Stadium has less dew compared to coastal venues like Wankhede or Eden Gardens. Further, it has less dew in April compared to May during the IPL season. Especially, winds from the Loo, which are dry, along with low humidity in April suppress dew.
Thus, during the month of April, in the evening matches of the month, the condition of the ball does not change significantly in both innings. However, during the month of May, as pre-monsoon settles, humidity rises along with calm winds in the evening. Thus, slight dew formation is expected to develop during the final overs of the second innings, which will be mildly beneficial for the team batting second. This will not be sufficient to make a huge difference in the match, which means betting on the second team isn’t a good option. What does this mean for April matches? Do not consider dew as a big factor.
In May matches, if humidity is expected to be over 65%, the second batting team will get a mild preference. Otherwise, it is better to keep the dew factor in consideration if the humidity is expected to be less than 65%.
IPL Records at Arun Jaitley Stadium
Arun Jaitley Stadium has been the home of Delhi cricket since 1883, and in the IPL era it has produced a fascinating mix of record-breaking batting performances and memorable bowling masterclasses. This historic ground has produced brilliance from both sides of the cricketing spectrum, from the legendary Lasith Malinga with an IPL record of 5/13 to the unbelievable 278/3 of SRH in 2015.
🏏 Highest IPL Totals at This Venue
| Team | Score | Vs | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| SRH | 278/3 | DC | 2025 |
| SRH | 266/7 | DC | 2024 |
| DC | 231/4 | PBKS | 2011 |
| DC | 228/4 | RR | 2012 |
| MI | 219/6 | CSK | 2021 |
📉 Lowest IPL Totals at This Venue
| Team | Score | Vs | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC | 66 | MI | 2017 |
| DC | 83 | CSK | 2013 |
| GL | 88 | DC | 2017 |
| PBKS | 95 | DC | 2014 |
| KKR | 108 | DC | 2013 |
Best Individual Performers at Arun Jaitley Stadium
Amit Mishra who has 76 wickets at the venue in 15 seasons of leg-spin has one of the finest individual bowling records in the IPL at the venue
🔥 Top Individual Scores (IPL) at This Venue
| Batsman | Score | Balls | Strike Rate | Fixture | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Gayle | 128 | 62 | 206 | RCB vs DC | 2012 |
| Rishabh Pant | 128* | 63 | 203 | DC vs SRH | 2018 |
| Virender Sehwag | 119 | 56 | 212 | DC vs PBKS | 2012 |
| AB de Villiers | 105* | 50 | 210 | RCB vs DC | 2015 |
| David Warner | 103* | 59 | 174 | SRH vs DC | 2016 |
📊 All-Time IPL Run Scorers at This Venue
| Batsman | Runs | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Rishabh Pant | 1,312+ | DC |
| Virender Sehwag | 1,199+ | DC / DD |
| David Warner | 1,133+ | SRH |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 1,050+ | DC / SRH |
| AB de Villiers | 780+ | RCB |
🎯 Best Bowling Figures (IPL) at This Venue
| Bowler | Figures | Fixture | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lasith Malinga | 5/13 ⭐ | MI vs DC | 2011 |
| Amit Mishra | 4/9 | DC vs CSK | 2013 |
| Umesh Yadav | 4/17 | DC vs RR | 2019 |
| Axar Patel | 4/14 | DC vs MI | 2021 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 4/21 | DC vs KKR | 2020 |
Fantasy Cricket Tips: Playing a Match at Arun Jaitley Stadium
🏏 KL Rahul — The New Kotla King
With 483 runs in 12 appearances at Ekana, KL Rahul shows his ability to dominate on Indian domestic surfaces and makes him the definite Kotla fantasy pick. He can bat anywhere from 1 to 6 and has a good strike rate.
🔄 Always Include a Quality Spinner
At 38%, Arun Jaitley Stadium has the third-highest spin wicket contribution of high-scoring IPL venues aside from Chepauk. Amit Mishra has 76 wickets here across 15 seasons, which shows how often this venue rewards leg and off spin. Modern flat pitches don’t even matter here as any good wrist spinner in the 9-15 overs can take a ton of wickets.
⚖️ Select on Form, Not Toss
At Arun Jaitley Stadium, the toss is least predictive across 97 matches with a 49%-51% batting/chasing split. Don’t wait for the toss to make your selections here. Position based batting, recent form, and dominant head-to-head bowlers matter a lot more. The side with better batting depth wins more often than the side that wins the toss.
At Arun Jaitley Stadium, you can’t make your selections based on the toss or pure batting heavy picks. The better balanced your team is overall, the better. Select a batting core with KL Rahul and a good bowling combination of at least 1 spinner and 2 pace bowlers. Here the toss is irrelevant and your preparation makes all the difference. In a toss and dew-factor dominated league, Arun Jaitley Stadium rewards cricketers for playing high quality cricket, which is a refreshing change.