How did the dew factor in UAE night games affect match outcomes?


IPL 2023 Winner

the UAE dew factor — the silent MVP (or villain) of many night games! 🌙💧
In IPL night matches, especially in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, dew became a game-changer. Let’s break it down:

🌙💦 What is the Dew Factor?

  • In UAE’s dry desert climate, once the sun sets, humidity rises, and dew settles on the ground.

  • The result?

    • A wet outfield

    • Slippery ball

    • Reduced grip for spinners and pacers alike

⚖️ How It Tilted Match Outcomes:

🏏 1. Toss = Win the Game?

  • Captains who won the toss almost always chose to bowl first

  • Chasing sides had the advantage — ball came on better, bowlers struggled to grip it late

📊 Impact Stats from IPL 2020:

  • Out of 60 matches, teams chasing won 35+ times

  • In Dubai alone, chasing teams won most of the high-profile thrillers

🧤 2. Spinners Had a Tough Time

  • Hard to spin a wet ball → many went with faster, flatter deliveries

  • Example: Rashid Khan and Chahal had to alter lengths, rely on googlies

🎯 3. Bowlers Missed Yorkers

  • Pacers found it hard to nail those perfect death-overs deliveries

  • Resulted in more boundaries late in the innings

💡 Team Strategy Adjustments:

Phase Without Dew With Dew
1st Innings Cautious batting Aim 180+, protect bowlers
2nd Innings Defend 160+ aggressively Bat freely, dew helps strokeplay

🔄 Dew sometimes reversed fortunes — matches tilted dramatically after the 12th over in 2nd innings

🔥 Iconic “Dew-Driven” Matches:

  • 🟠 RR vs KXIP, Sharjah 2020 – Dew helped RR chase 223

  • 🔵 MI vs RCB, Dubai – Chasing side went berserk in the death overs

  • 🟡 CSK lost multiple games defending 160+ due to wet-ball struggles

🏁 Final Take:

Dew in UAE IPLs made chasing king. Bowlers often looked helpless after the 14th over, while batters treated the ball like a beach ball. It pushed teams to plan death bowling alternatives, reconsider toss strategies, and even bench key spinners.