"Mumbai Indians got what they wanted" - Aakash Chopra on IPL 2022 being restricted to Maharashtra

Aakash Chopra feels that IPL 2022's league stage being restricted to just four grounds in Maharashtra will give Mumbai Indians (MI) an advantage over other franchises.

On Friday, the IPL authorities confirmed that the first 70 matches of the tournament will be spread across three venues in Mumbai and one in Pune to limit travel on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mumbai's Wankhade Stadium and DY Patil Stadium will host 20 matches each. Whereas the city's Barbourne Stadium (CCI) and Pune's MCA International Stadium will conduct 15 matches each.

Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra reasoned that Mumbai Indians have built their team keeping their home conditions in mind. He said the matches being restricted to Maharashtra are now "perfect" for them.

The cricketer-turned-commentator suggested:

"They will try to give all teams equal opportunities to play at these venues. For Mumbai, it's pretty good. When they sat for the auction and made their team, they did that considering their home ground. So it's perfect for them. They got what they wanted."

In most of the pre-pandemic seasons of the IPL, every team played half of their matches at home and half away.

Now, other franchises are wary of the possibility of the five-time champions playing most of their games at the Wankhade Stadium, which has been their home ground for years. Some have even reportedly requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to keep Mumbai Indians' game limited to Pune and the other two grounds in Mumbai.

DY Patil and Pune will see a similar type of matches: Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra also believes that the matches at the Wankhade Stadium and CCI will see similar kinds of games due to their identical conditions and the same will be true for the DY Patil Stadium and the MCA International Stadium. He explained:

"Of course, all matches won't be at their home but both Wankhade and CCI have similar kinds of conditions - small ground, flat pitch, a bit of dew at the end. This is what Mumbai brings to you. DY Patil is still a big ground. I feel DY Patil and Pune will also see similar kinds of matches considering the ground dimensions and their distance from the sea."

The season is slated to start on March 26 with the final scheduled on May 29.