India, May 18 -- Delhi Capitals coach Hemang Badani did not intend to make a sweeping statement about the Indian Premier League when he said, "We play this venue (Feroz Shah Kotla) as an away venue" after registering only their second win at home.

Yet, in one sentence, he may have captured a growing reality of the tournament - home venues no longer present the advantage or certainty they once used to.

For years, franchises built identities around their home grounds. While Chennai Super Kings mastered Chepauk's slow turners, Mumbai Indians leaned into the bounce and pace of the Wankhede, Kolkata Knight Riders preferred surfaces that gripped and suited their spin-heavy attacks. As a result, teams were constructed for 'home.'

Earlier, coa...