The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur has hosted only eight IPL matches since 2013, and six of them have gone to the side chasing. The venue's team total record was rewritten twice in one week when the IPL returned here in May 2026, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru using the 65,000-seat bowl as their second home for the season. Here is exactly what the surface does and who it favours.
Quick Answer - Raipur Pitch Report
Raipur is a black soil pitch that swings the game towards the chasing side, largely because of dew in night matches. The chasing team has won 6 of the venue's 8 IPL games, including both matches when the IPL returned here in 2026. Long boundaries, 80m on average and 84m at the longest, mean batters have to time the ball rather than muscle it, a pattern that shows up again on the IPL's century-makers list.
हिन्दी: रायपुर का मैदान चेज़ करने वाली टीम के लिए मददगार रहा है, यहां खेले गए आठ में से छह मैच चेज़ करने वाली टीम ने जीते हैं।
Stats verified via ESPNcricinfo and the official IPL site, updated 12 Jul 2026.
Raipur IPL Stats at a Glance
Eight matches is a tiny sample for a ground this size, which is exactly why every fresh game here moves the numbers so much. Two of those eight came only in May 2026, when the ground returned to the IPL calendar after a ten year gap, and both produced the two highest totals in the venue's history.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| IPL matches played | 8 |
| Matches won chasing | 6 |
| Matches won batting first | 2 |
| Highest total | 194/4 (RCB vs KKR, 13 May 2026) |
| First IPL match here | 28 April 2013 (Delhi Daredevils beat Pune Warriors by 15 runs) |
| Average boundary length | 80m |
| Longest boundary | 84m |
| Seating capacity | 65,000 |
What the Raipur Pitch Does
The surface is classic black soil and plays two different games inside the same twenty overs. New ball bowlers get nip and carry in the first six, which is why Bhuvneshwar Kumar's swing did real damage in the venue's most recent match, a four wicket haul that set up RCB's chase of Mumbai Indians in May 2026. Past the powerplay the pitch slows and grips, rewarding finger spinners who hit a consistent length over out and out turn.
Size is the other defining feature. At 80m on average and 84m at its longest, Raipur's boundaries rank among the biggest in India, so batters need timing more than raw power, which suited Virat Kohli's classical strokeplay across both his innings here. In evening matches, dew usually arrives from the tenth over onward, taking spinners out of the equation and tilting the contest towards the side chasing.
Is Raipur Batting or Bowling Friendly?
On the numbers, Raipur leans towards the team bowling first. New ball movement early and dew late both work against the side batting first, a pattern that has held up across both eras of IPL cricket here, 2013 to 2016 and then 2026. Totals in the 190s are now on record too, so it is not a graveyard for batters, it just rewards whoever bats second more often than not.
The bowlers who have succeeded here are new ball specialists rather than out and out strike bowlers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 4 for 23 against Mumbai Indians in 2026 is the standout figure from the venue's short IPL history, built on early swing and a clever change of pace at the death, the same skills that have kept him effective well past the age most fast bowlers slow down.
Toss and Chasing Trends at Raipur
Every IPL captain who has won the toss at Raipur has chosen to field first, and it has worked every time on record. Royal Challengers Bengaluru put Mumbai Indians in, then Kolkata Knight Riders, in their two 2026 matches, and chased down both totals, the second one, 193, in just 19.1 overs. It was the same story in the venue's last match before that, in 2016, when Bengaluru again fielded first and ran down Delhi Daredevils' target with overs to spare.
Dew is the practical reason: once it sets in from the tenth over onward, spinners lose grip and the defending side leans almost entirely on pace through the back end, which few attacks manage without leaking runs.
What to Expect at Raipur
Walk into a toss at Raipur and the numbers say it plainly: field first. A par first innings score has crept up with each visit, from the 130s and 140s in the venue's first three seasons to the high 160s and 190s in 2026, though with only two matches on the newly returned ground, calling that a permanent shift rather than two good batting decks in a row would be a stretch.
What does look durable is the shape of a Raipur chase: brisk in the powerplay, tighter through overs 7 to 14 as spin grips, then a dew aided free for all in the last five overs favouring the side with wickets in hand. Set a total here and defend it with cutters and yorkers, not a fourth spinner.
If I am captain and win the toss at Raipur, I field, no debate. Three matches, three chases won by the side that bowled first, and the dew here is not a theory, it is a repeatable pattern across two different eras of the tournament. One honest caveat: a two match 2026 sample should not overrule a decade of data by itself, especially since both wins came from Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who added their name to the list of IPL champions soon after anyway.
For a franchise weighing a permanent second home, Raipur ticks the boxes: a 65,000-seat bowl that fills up, true bounce once set, and boundaries big enough to keep the format honest. The IPL's return here after a decade away worked out well for everyone, and a slot on the 2027 calendar would not surprise me.
Frequently Asked Questions - Raipur Pitch
Is the Raipur pitch good for batting or bowling?
It leans towards the side chasing. Seamers get early help, finger spinners grip the middle overs, and dew from the tenth over onward kills spin and helps the chasing side.
What is the highest IPL total at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium?
194 for 4, by Royal Challengers Bengaluru while chasing 193 against Kolkata Knight Riders on 13 May 2026. It broke the previous record of 164, set at the venue's first IPL match in 2013.
Does dew affect matches at Raipur?
Yes. Dew usually sets in from the tenth to twelfth over of the second innings, making the ball harder to grip for spinners and helping the side chasing through the death overs.
Should you bat or bowl first if you win the toss at Raipur?
Bowl first. The toss winner has chosen to field in all three of the venue's recent matches, in 2016 and twice in 2026, and won every time chasing.
How many IPL matches has Raipur hosted?
Eight, across four seasons: 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2026, with a ten year gap before the ground returned to the IPL calendar in 2026.
The Bottom Line
Raipur remains one of the IPL's least visited grounds, just eight matches across thirteen years, but the pattern that keeps repeating is a clear one: field first, let the pitch do the early work, and trust the dew to finish it. Royal Challengers Bengaluru proved it twice in May 2026 the same way they proved it once in 2016, and the venue's record book, including a new highest total of 194, was rewritten inside a single week. Whether the IPL returns to Chhattisgarh's biggest stadium again in 2027 is the open question, but on the evidence so far, Raipur is worth watching whenever it does.
