Pitch reports are released about 90 minutes before toss. Most readers skim them and pick their captain based on reputation. With the right framework, you can read a pitch report in 90 seconds and adjust your captain pick accordingly.
The four pitch types
| Type | Colour | What to expect | Captain pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green seamer | Visible grass cover | Seamers dominate first 6-10 overs | Strike fast bowler |
| Dry spin | Cracked, dusty surface | Spin dominates middle overs | Wrist-spin all-rounder or top-order batter on day 2 |
| Black soil batting | Even, flat, dark | High-scoring, even bounce | Top-order batter from both teams |
| Variable bounce | Mixed grass and cracks | Unpredictable — batting is hard work | Skip the match if no clear edge |
Reading the report in 90 seconds
- Look at the grass cover. Visible grass = seamers will dominate first innings. No grass = batting friendly.
- Look at the cracks. Visible cracks = spin will dominate second innings. No cracks = batting friendly throughout.
- Read the dew forecast. Heavy dew = chase is easier by 15-25 runs. Captain the chasing team's top-order.
- Check the boundary dimensions. Short square boundaries favour top-order stroke-makers; long straight boundaries favour anchor batters.
How this changes your captain pick
On a green seamer, captain the strike fast bowler. On a dry spin track, captain the wrist-spin all-rounder or the top-order batter from the team batting second. On a flat batting track, captain the opener with the highest strike rate. On a variable bounce track, skip the match if you have no clear read — the variance will eat your ROI.
Common pitfalls
Three mistakes we see every week:
- Picking the captain based on reputation, not pitch. A great batter on a green seamer is a worse captain pick than an average batter on a flat track.
- Ignoring dew. Dew shifts the second-innings advantage dramatically — captain the chasing team's opener, not the first-innings opener.
- Ignoring team news. If the spinner you wanted to captain is rested, the entire captain calculus shifts.
Frequently asked questions
Official pitch reports are released by the BCCI and the home franchise about 90 minutes before the toss. They are republished by the IPL website and most sports news outlets.
Most dew forecasts are accurate to within ±20 minutes for the start of condensation. By the 12th over of the second innings, dew is usually visible.
Mullanpur and Bengaluru have had the flattest pitches in recent seasons, with first-innings averages around 185.
Filed by IPL Live Fantasy editorial desk · Updated 20 July 2026.