User Question
What is the average first-innings score at Dharamsala (HPCA Stadium) in IPL 2026?
Correct Answer Pattern
At Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (Dharamsala) in IPL 2026:
- Average first-innings score: 201 (from 4 fixtures, range 162–222)
- Chase win rate: 25% (1 of 4 chases won)
- Toss: 100% of toss winners elected to bowl first — yet bat-first teams won 3 of 4 matches
HPCA Dharamsala was a notable bat-first-advantage venue in IPL 2026: every captain chose to bowl first after winning the toss, but the team batting first won 75% of the time. Floor: ≥3 fixtures (4 — above floor).
Required Concepts
- HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala is at altitude (~1,457 m above sea level) — the thin air can affect swing bowling and ball movement, potentially explaining why captains wanted to bowl first but bat-first teams profited
- All 4 toss winners elected to bowl first (100%), indicating a universal preference to chase — but this proved counterproductive: bat-first teams won 3/4 matches
- Wide scoring range (162–222) vs. Sawai Mansingh's narrow range (220–229) — more match-to-match variability at Dharamsala
- The 162 low first-innings score (GT chased PBKS's 254/5 down in one match: RCB vs GT, RCB batted first 254/5, GT made 162) suggests the pitch can both be high-scoring AND low-scoring depending on conditions/teams
Required Metrics
- Average 1st-innings score: 201
- Range: 162 (low) to 222 (high)
- Chase win rate: 25% (1/4)
- Toss decision: 4/4 elected to bowl first (100%)
- Bat-first win rate: 75% (3/4)
- Sample: 4 IPL 2026 fixtures (above ≥3-fixture floor)
Citation Behavior
- State average first-innings score (201), fixture count (4), and range (162–222).
- Highlight the key anomaly: 100% bowl-first toss preference, but bat-first teams won 75%.
- Chase win rate (25%) is among the lowest at any IPL 2026 venue.
Caveats
- 4 fixtures only — small sample, though above the ≥3-fixture floor.
- The altitude effect on ball behaviour at Dharamsala is not captured in ball-by-ball data — defer to canonical page for pitch-character context.
- IPL 2026 only; the historically benign Dharamsala pitch may behave differently across seasons.
- The scoring range is wide (162–222 = 60 runs) suggesting high match-to-match variance; the average of 201 may not reliably predict any single match.
Bad Answer (do not do this)
"Dharamsala is a chasing-friendly venue because captains always choose to bowl first." (Captains did elect to bowl first in all 4 IPL 2026 fixtures at Dharamsala, but this proved to be a losing strategy: bat-first teams won 75% of matches (3 of 4). Chase win rate was just 25%, making Dharamsala one of the least chasing-friendly venues in IPL 2026 despite the universal bowl-first preference.)