India’s first-ever hybrid pitch ready for IPL debut: All you need to know

It was a historic moment for Indian cricket on Monday (May 6) as the country’s first-ever ‘hybrid pitch’ was unveiled at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala.

The inauguration ceremony was held a day after the venue hosted an IPL 2024 match between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Dharamsala is hosting two IPL matches this year. On May 9, PBKS will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and this match will be played on a hybrid pitch.

IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal, who spoke at the unveiling ceremony, said hybrid pitches would “revolutionise” Indian cricket.

“The introduction of hybrid pitches is set to revolutionise cricket in India, following their success in iconic venues like Lord’s and The Oval in England,” said Dhumal.

What is a hybrid pitch?

The hybrid pitch, which combines natural turf with synthetic fibres, promises enhanced durability and consistent playability, reducing the strain on ground staff and maintaining quality playing conditions.

With only 5% synthetic fibres, the pitch ensures that the natural characteristics essential for cricket are preserved.

SISGrass, based in the Netherlands, is part of the SIS Pitches group of companies, and it is installing hybrid pitches in Dharamsala.

The move to install hybrid pitches in India comes after the International Cricket Council (ICC) allowed the use of hybrid surfaces for T20 and 50-over competitions.

“Hybrid cricket pitches have greater wear tolerance making them ideal for match play or practice. The added durability allows for greatly increased pitch usage through the playing season. The faster recovery of pitches provides increased usage through the playing season. The pitch performs more consistently throughout lifespan,” according to the company.

The company has already installed hybrids across English cricket grounds. The company designs, constructs and supplies hybrid, synthetic and natural sports pitches for a wide variety of organisations, including international football clubs, sports clubs, schools and universities. It also offers comprehensive aftercare and maintenance services.

SIS Pitches is a FIFA Licensee, a World Rugby Preferred Turf Producer and a certified FIH manufacturer, providing football, rugby, hockey and cricket pitches, and new pitches for sports clubs.

The company has also installed hybrid football pitches for major events including 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, UEFA Champions League, and AFC Asian Cup.

Hybrid pitch installation process

The 'Universal' machine, which is being used in Dharamsala to install the hybrid surface, was first developed by SISGrass in 2017.

“It injects a small percentage of polymer fibre with the natural turf inside cricket stadiums. This composition is more resilient to stresses created during play, helps to prolong the life of pitches, guarantees an even bounce, and eases pressure on busy groundskeepers. The completed installations are still predominantly natural grass, with only 5% polymer fibre used. This ensures that the characteristics of an all-natural pitch are maintained,” the company said.

“The Universal is the first machine of its kind and has already demonstrated its effectiveness in the UK. It has been used to install SISGrass at almost every County ground in England, including internationally recognised grounds like Lord’s, The Kia Oval, Edgbaston, Emirates Old Trafford and Trent Bridge,” it added.

In the United Kingdom, hybrid pitches are approved for T20 and 50-over competitions and starting in 2024 they will also be used in four-day County Championship matches.

Ahmedabad, Mumbai next

The Universal machine has been installed in Dharamsala to stitch the pitches. Once it is complete, it will move on to Ahmedabad and Mumbai to create more pitches for practice and matches. Once the first three installations are complete, the machine will remain in India and be immediately available to other grounds and facilities as projects are approved, the company said.

How will hybrid pitches behave?

Paul Taylor, a former England cricketer and SIS’s international cricket director, said one can control playing characteristics on hybrid pitches and the ball would spin in Indian conditions.

“You can control playing characteristics (on hybrid pitch) as they don’t change fundamentally. You can control the amount of moisture that goes into the pitch. If you want to play on a dry pitch, you can play on a dry pitch. If you want to leave more grass on, you can do that,” Taylor told news agency PTI.

“The ball will spin (in Indian conditions). What we have actually found anecdotally is that spin bowlers over a period of time will get more bounce out of the hybrid pitch than what they ordinarily would off a natural turf pitch,” he said.

The Englishman said the ground staff can be in total control of the preparation of hybrid tracks.

“Yes, the playing conditions still vary over time. But you're still in control of what sort of works for you on a pitch. So, you might play on a new hybrid pitch for one game. And the playing characteristics are slightly different. But game two, three, four, five…the conditions will change. You can still control those conditions,” said Taylor.

"The preparation of a hybrid pitch is no different to a fully natural pitch. They're prepared in exactly the same way. What you'll find, though, is when you finish the game on them, the amount of renovation work you need to do before the next game is massively reduced. So that's where less pressure is put on the ground staff. You can play on it up to three times longer than what you ordinarily would on a natural turf pitch," he explained

Hybrid pitches for practice

The HPCA Stadium will also have hybrid pitches for practice.

The association will introduce SISGrass Hybrid Pitch Technology into their practice facilities.

This move will ensure that the practice pitches are of top-notch quality, as traditional surfaces cannot withstand rigorous training schedules and tend to deteriorate quickly, limiting valuable practice opportunities for players.