Did captains have to alter their field placements for foreign pitches?


IPL 2023 Winner

captains had to rethink field placements entirely when the IPL shifted to foreign shores like South Africa (2009) and the UAE (2014, 2020). These weren’t just cosmetic tweaks — they were tactical overhauls based on pitch pace, bounce, boundaries, and atmospheric conditions.

Let’s break it down:

🏟️ 1. South Africa (2009): Pacey, bouncy tracks

  • Key Adjustment: Deep third man and fine leg were used more aggressively to counter extra bounce and edges.

  • Captains favored:

    • Two slips early on (rare in Indian T20s).

    • Deep square leg and long leg for short balls.

    • In middle overs, point + cover were pushed back to save boundaries due to fast outfields.

🔍 Example: Shane Warne often kept a deep point and deep cover simultaneously to protect against cut/drive releases.

🏜️ 2. UAE (2014, 2020): Slower pitches, shorter boundaries (esp. Sharjah)

  • Key Adjustment: Captains protected the short boundaries with deep midwicket and long-on early in the innings.

  • Spinners’ fields often included:

    • Short third man for reverse sweeps and edges.

    • Long-off and long-on in place from ball one.

  • In dew-heavy games: Defensive fields set earlier due to tougher grip for bowlers.

🧠 MS Dhoni effect: In 2020, Dhoni placed a square leg inside the ring and a deep square leg behind — baiting mishits against slower balls.

🎯 3. Adapting Based on Conditions

Captains began reading not just pitch type, but also match timing (day/night), dew forecast, and wind direction:

  • Fielders were shifted slightly off square boundaries if breeze favored a particular hitting arc.

  • Some captains used sweeper cover over deep extra cover more often to cut singles and cover miss-hits.

📋 TL;DR: Foreign Pitches = New Field Blueprints

Condition Field Placement Change
Extra bounce (SA) More slips, deeper square leg & third man
Slower pitches (UAE) Deeper midwicket, protection behind the batter
Short boundaries Boundary riders in place from early overs
Dew factor More defensive early on, fewer close-in fielders

Want a captain-vs-captain comparison on who adapted best abroad — like Rohit vs Dhoni vs Kohli? Let me know!