Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur averages 166 first-innings runs across 65 IPL matches — but that number no longer captures what this venue has become in 2026. Three of RR’s five home games this season produced 220+ totals, and chasing teams overhauled every single one of them until Gujarat Titans smashed 229/4 on May 9 and won by 77 runs. Here’s the complete SMS Stadium pitch report: toss patterns, last five matches, dew window, and what the numbers actually mean for your Dream11 picks.
Quick Verdict — SMS Stadium, Jaipur
Sawai Mansingh Stadium leans toward chasing teams. Avg 1st innings: 166. All-time chasing win rate: 65% (42 of 65 matches). Highest team total: 229 (SRH, IPL 2026). Toss-winners in 2026: all three chose to bowl first. Dew arrives: from over 12 in evening matches, heavy by over 16.
SMS Stadium Pitch Behaviour
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium surface starts with some life for the new ball. Pacers find carry and the odd seam movement in the opening four overs — enough to trouble openers who fish outside off-stump. That window is short. By over six, the pitch settles and batters with a solid base can play freely. The outfield is one of the largest on the IPL circuit, which means clearing the rope straight or over long-on demands genuine power. Square of the wicket is shorter, so pulls and cuts score freely. Spinners enter from around over 11 as the dry Rajasthan surface grips sharply — wrist spinners especially can extract turn and bounce through the middle overs. In 2026, the pitch has played noticeably flatter than in prior seasons. The 200-run barrier had been breached just 10 times in Jaipur across the entire IPL history up to 2025; in 2026, it fell three times in five home fixtures.
📊 The Stat That Defines This Pitch
Chasing teams have won 42 of 65 IPL matches at Jaipur — a 65% success rate. In 2026, that trend peaked: before May 9, three straight chases at SMS Stadium all succeeded, with teams overhauling 173 (RCB, 9 wkts), 228 (SRH, 5 wkts), and 225 (DC, 7 wkts). But GT’s 229/4 on May 9 — Shubman Gill’s 84 off 44 and Sai Sudharsan’s 55 off 36 coming before any dew — flipped the script. The actual rule here: any team that scores 220+ wins, regardless of innings order. Below that threshold, bat second.
SMS Stadium — Last 5 IPL Matches
| Date | Match | Result | 1st Inns | 2nd Inns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 May 2026 | RR vs GT | GT won by 77 runs | GT 229/4 | RR 152 ao |
| 1 May 2026 | RR vs DC | DC won by 7 wkts | RR 225/6 | DC 226/3 |
| 25 Apr 2026 | RR vs SRH | SRH won by 5 wkts | RR 228/6 | SRH 229/5 |
| 19 Apr 2026 | RR vs LSG | RR won by 40 runs | RR 159 | LSG 119 ao |
| Apr 2026 | RR vs RCB | RCB won by 9 wkts | RR 173 | RCB 174/1 |
Toss Strategy at SMS Stadium
Batting First
- Avg total: 166
- All-time win rate: 35%
- Par score: 180+
- Top first-innings total: 229/4 (GT, May 2026)
Chasing
- Avg chase: 164
- All-time win rate: 65%
- Dew window: overs 12–20
- Highest successful chase: 229/5 (SRH, Apr 2026)
💧 Dew Impact at SMS Stadium
Jaipur’s warm April–May nights produce consistent dew from around over 12. By over 16, the outfield is damp and the ball is visibly wet. Death bowlers lose their grip on yorkers and slower balls — the two weapons that make a Jaipur second innings defensible — and spinners can’t get the ball to grip and turn. All three of 2026’s successful chases at this venue were effectively won in the death overs, where dew made bowling a near-impossible task. For fantasy teams, this translates to a clear bias: batting picks from the chasing side, especially lower-order hitters who arrive in overs 15–20, tend to accumulate strike-rate-boosted points at a higher rate.
Field first at Jaipur, always — that’s been the instinct and the 65% success rate backs it. But GT’s May 9 performance has forced a rethink. They scored 229/4 batting first with two out-of-form players finding extraordinary form, and Rashid Khan then made 229 look impregnable. The revised rule: if your batting lineup has the firepower to score 220+ in the first 20 overs — before dew becomes a factor — you can bat first here and win. Every other captain should still look to bowl.
For Dream11: load up on three or four batters from the chasing team’s top order. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi cracked a 35-ball hundred at this venue in IPL 2025 — the fastest at SMS Stadium. Jaipur is an aggressive opener’s ground when it counts.
SMS Stadium Pitch — FAQs
Is Sawai Mansingh Stadium good for batting or bowling?
It’s a balanced surface that leans toward batting, especially under lights with dew. New-ball pacers get early movement, but the pitch settles by over six and scores climb steadily. In IPL 2026, three of five home fixtures produced 220+ totals, making Jaipur one of the higher-scoring venues this season.
What is the average 1st innings score at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in IPL?
The historical average first innings score at SMS Stadium is 166. That benchmark has shifted sharply in 2026, with three innings exceeding 220 in five home fixtures. Teams now need 180+ to be competitive, and 220+ to feel truly safe.
Does dew affect matches at Sawai Mansingh Stadium?
Yes, significantly. Jaipur’s warm April–May nights bring consistent dew from around over 12 in the second innings. This softens the ball, limits bowling effectiveness, and makes batting in the death overs considerably easier. It’s a primary reason chasing teams win 65% of IPL matches here.
Should the toss winner bat or chase at Sawai Mansingh Stadium?
Chase, in most cases. All three toss-winners at Jaipur in 2026 opted to bowl first, and two of those three chasing sides won. The exception is if your side can realistically score 220+ batting first — GT’s 229/4 on May 9 proves that’s also a winning position. Below 210, the dew makes defending very difficult.
Bottom Line
Sawai Mansingh Stadium has shifted character in 2026. The 166 historical average belongs to a different era — this is now a 200+ venue on flat pitches and warm Jaipur nights. Chasing still wins 65% of the time, but the real threshold is 220: score that and you win, first or second. See how RR’s home-ground struggles have shaped the table at IPL 2026 points table, and check our full pitch report hub for comparisons across all IPL venues before finalising your Dream11 picks.
