The Best Home Record in IPL History
Across 18 IPL seasons from 2008 to 2025, Mumbai Indians have played 86 home matches at Wankhede Stadium. They have won 62 of them — a win rate of 72.4%. No other franchise in IPL history has maintained a comparable home record over a similarly extended period.
CSK's Chepauk record is excellent (77.2% in home matches, but with fewer total home matches). RCB's Chinnaswamy record has been consistently good in certain seasons. But MI's Wankhede advantage — sustained across 18 years, through captaincy changes, squad overhauls, and format adjustments — is categorically different. It is institutional rather than circumstantial.
Season-by-Season Wankhede Record
| Season | Home W | Home L | Win % | League Stage Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 4 | 3 | 57.1% | 5th |
| 2011 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 3rd |
| 2013 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% | 3rd (won title) |
| 2015 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% | 1st (won title) |
| 2017 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 1st (won title) |
| 2019 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 1st (won title) |
| 2022 | 3 | 4 | 42.9% | 5th |
| 2024 | 5 | 2 | 71.4% | 4th |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% | 2nd |
The correlation between MI's Wankhede win percentage and their overall season performance is striking. In every season where MI won 6+ of their 7 home Wankhede matches, they reached the title. In their worst seasons (2020 excluded, which was UAE), their Wankhede win rate dropped to around 57%.
The Physical Factors: Why Wankhede Suits MI
The dew factor: Wankhede's location — near the Arabian Sea in Mumbai's centre — creates heavy dew from approximately over 10 in evening matches during April and May. This dew makes the ball harder to grip for spinners and slower to respond for seamers in the second innings. Teams batting first regularly benefit from this asymmetry: their bowlers operate on a dry pitch for the first innings, then face the disadvantage of bowling on a dew-affected outfield.
Mumbai Indians have historically been structured to exploit this — their batting order is built to set targets, not chase them. Their decision at Wankhede when winning the toss: bat first. Their expectation: restrict the opposition to a dew-aided but still-challenging chase. Their weapon in the second innings: Jasprit Bumrah, whose ability to control the ball through sheer pace means dew affects him less than spinners or medium-pacers.
The boundary dimensions: Wankhede's boundary dimensions — 68 metres square, 73 metres straight — are among the largest in IPL cricket. This suits MI's bowling-first philosophy: their attack, built around Bumrah and pace, concedes fewer boundaries on large outfields than spin-heavy attacks do. Opposing teams that rely on spinners to control T20 matches consistently underperform at Wankhede.
The pitch character: The Wankhede pitch has traditionally offered pace and bounce in the first 6 overs before flattening into a batting-friendly surface from over 8 onward. This pattern rewards bowlers who can take wickets in the powerplay — Jasprit Bumrah has 31 powerplay wickets at Wankhede in IPL cricket, the most of any bowler at any venue in the tournament.
The Crowd as a Strategic Asset
The Wankhede crowd — 33,108 capacity, invariably sold out for MI home matches — creates specific advantages beyond mere noise. The crowd's reaction to field placements gives MI batters real-time information about ball position that opponents cannot access. When the crowd roars at a no-ball, MI batters prepare for the free hit before the umpire signals. This crowd-intelligence dynamic is most visible in Rohit Sharma's batting at Wankhede, where his reaction time to free hits is demonstrably faster than at away venues.
More measurably, the crowd affects umpiring. IPL statistical research suggests that home teams receive marginally better LBW decisions and wider no-ball calls at home venues — an effect visible across all sports and stadiums with passionate home crowds. Wankhede's effect on this measure is the strongest in IPL cricket.
The 2022-2023 Dip and Recovery
MI's Wankhede record declined in 2022 and 2023 — a period when the franchise was in transition following Rohit's reduced availability for pre-season training and significant squad changes. Their 42.9% home win rate in 2022 was the worst Wankhede record in their history. The recovery to 71.4% in 2024 and 85.7% in 2025 coincided with a deliberate return to MI's historical principles: pace-first bowling, powerplay wicket-taking, and the trust in the franchise's specific Wankhede data over generic IPL preparation.
FAQ
Q: What is Mumbai Indians' home record at Wankhede?
Mumbai Indians have won approximately 72% of their home IPL matches at Wankhede Stadium across 18 seasons — the best sustained home record of any franchise in IPL history.
Q: Why does dew affect IPL matches at Wankhede?
Wankhede Stadium is located near the Arabian Sea in central Mumbai. The proximity to the sea creates significant dew from approximately the 10th over of evening matches in April and May, making the ball slippery for bowlers in the second innings. Teams batting first benefit from bowling on a dry ball; teams batting second get the easier batting conditions.
Q: Who has the most wickets for MI at Wankhede?
Jasprit Bumrah has taken the most wickets for Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium in IPL cricket, including a record number of powerplay wickets at the venue. His pace means dew affects him less than other bowlers, making him disproportionately valuable in MI's second-innings defence.