Niranjan Shah Stadium

Niranjan Shah Stadium
SCA Khandheri Stadium
Ground information
LocationRajkot, Gujarat, India
Establishment2008
Capacity28,000
OwnerSaurashtra Cricket Association
OperatorSaurashtra Cricket Association
TenantsIndian cricket team
Saurashtra cricket team
Gujarat Lions (defunct)
End names
Pavilion End
International information
First Test9–13 November 2016:
 India v  England
Last Test15–18 February 2024:
 India v  England
First ODI11 January 2013:
 India v  England
Last ODI27 September 2023:
 India v  Australia
First T20I10 October 2013:
 India v  Australia
Last T20I7 January 2023:
 India v  Sri Lanka
As of 19 February 2024
Source: ESPNcricinfo

Niranjan Shah Stadium (formerly known as Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium), also known as Khandheri Cricket Stadium, is a cricket stadium in Rajkot, India. It is Gujarat's first solar-powered stadium.

In 2013, the first international match took place in this stadium. In the same year, it hosted its first T20I between India and Australia, which India won by six wickets. In 2016, stadium hosted its first test, India vs England. The match ended in a draw.

History

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View of Khandheri Cricket Stadium from outside in 2011

Initially, the stadium was being used for Ranji Trophy matches, when the spectator stands were still being constructed.[1] With the stands completed, the ground can hold 28,000 people. The stadium is a part of a larger sports complex that will include venues for other sports such as badminton, basketball, and volleyball. It hosts Saurashtra Cricket Association matches along with Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground.

It is a state of the art cricket stadium. The media box here is similar in design to the one at Lord's Cricket Ground, London. To facilitate spectator movement, there are several aisles between seat columns and the many entrances/exits for the three stands. There is also a spacious passage running around the stadium, between the stands and the outer wall, to enable easy movement.

A 30-acre portion of agricultural land next to the Jamnagar highway was acquired around 2004. Construction began in 2006 and the total cost, including land, is said to be around Rs 75 crore (around $14 million). The SCA shifted its offices from the cramped seventh floor of a commercial building in the city to the stadium which has been hosting first-class matches since late 2008.

The complex has two playing fields: the main one inside the stadium, with a 90-yard outfield, and a smaller one outside, with a 70-yard outfield. The latter is used for outdoor nets, and also for district-level matches. The dressing rooms are big and lined with large, luxurious, cushioned seats.

There are more than 60 hospitality boxes dotting the West Stand and the Pavilion Stand but the SCA has decided against selling them permanently to corporates and will only hire them out for international matches. There are even plans to have an academy in the future.

The stadium was in the cricket news when its Saurashtra run machines Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja make their latest double or triple-hundreds.

It also hosted its first T20 International match on 10 October 2013 between India and Australia during the Australia Tour of India Oct-Nov 2013. The match first saw Aaron Finch make 89 and then the return of Yuvraj Singh to international cricket in which he scored an unbeaten 77 as India chased down 201 runs.

In November 2015, the stadium was selected as one of the six new Test venues along with Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, JSCA International Stadium Complex, Holkar Stadium, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium and Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in India.[2] The stadium was the home ground of the Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016. It hosted five matches in the season.[3]

On 9 November 2016, the stadium hosted its first Test match, which was played between England and India.[4]

On 14 February 2024, the stadium was named after Niranjan Shah, a former first-class cricketer from Saurashtra and the honorary secretary of the Saurashtra Cricket Association, a day before the start of the 3rd test match.[5]

Sustainability efforts

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Niranjan Shah Stadium has implemented a solar rooftop system, making it one of the solar-powered venues in India.[6] The system is designed to generate 82,000 units of solar power annually and contributes to a monthly saving of approximately ₹54,600 in electricity bills.[7] Additionally, the stadium has plans for expanding its green power generation capabilities in the future.[8] These measures are part of the stadium's approach to sustainability.

List of centuries

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Key

[edit]
  • * denotes that the batsman was not out.
  • Inns. denotes the number of the innings in the match.
  • Balls denotes the number of balls faced in an innings.
  • NR denotes that the number of balls was not recorded.
  • The column title Date refers to the date the match started.

Tests

[edit]
No. Player Team Score Balls Inns. Opposing team Date
1 Joe Root  England 124 180 1  India 9 November 2016[9]
2 Moeen Ali  England 117 213 1  India
3 Ben Stokes  England 128 235 1  India
4 Murali Vijay  India 126 301 2  England
5 Cheteshwar Pujara  India 124 206 2  England
6 Alastair Cook  England 130 243 3  India
7 Prithvi Shaw  India 134 154 1  West Indies 24 October 2018[10]
8 Virat Kohli  India 139 230 1  West Indies
9 Ravindra Jadeja  India 100* 132 1  West Indies
10 Rohit Sharma  India 131 196 1  England 15 February 2024[11]
11 Ravindra Jadeja  India 112 225 1  England
12 Ben Duckett  England 153 151 2  India
13 Yashasvi Jaiswal  India 214* 236 3  England

One Day Internationals

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No. Player Team Score Balls Inns. Opposing team Date Result
1 Quinton de Kock  South Africa 103 118 1  India 18 October 2015 Won[12]

Twenty20 Internationals

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No. Player Team Score Balls Inns. Opposing team Date Result
1 Colin Munro  New Zealand 109* 58 1  India 4 November 2017 Won[13]
2 Suryakumar Yadav  India 112* 51 1  Sri Lanka 7 January 2023 Won[14]

List of five-wicket hauls

[edit]

Tests

[edit]
No. Bowler Date Team Opposing Team Inn O R W Result
1 Kuldeep Yadav 4 October 2018  India  West Indies 3 14 57 5 India won[10]
2 Ravindra Jadeja 15 February 2024  India  England 4 12.4 41 5 India won[11]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hindustan Times
  2. ^ BCCI revamps selection committee, announces new Test centres
  3. ^ IPL-T20 Schedule
  4. ^ "England tour of India, 1st Test: India v England at Rajkot, Nov 9-13, 2016". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  5. ^ "SCA Stadium renamed after veteran cricket administrator Niranjan Shah". Business Standard. 16 February 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Rajkot's SCA stadium becomes eco-friendly with solar power installation". DNA India.
  7. ^ "Cricket stadium in Rajkot to be solar-powered". Times of India.
  8. ^ "Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium: A Homeground Legacy in Rajkot, India". Stadiums World.
  9. ^ "1st Test, England tour of India at Rajkot, Nov 9-13 2016". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  10. ^ a b "1st Test, West Indies tour of India at Rajkot, Oct 4-6 2018". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  11. ^ a b "3rd Test, Rajkot, February 15 - 19, 2024, England tour of India". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  12. ^ "3rd ODI (D/N), South Africa tour of India at Rajkot, Oct 18 2015". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  13. ^ "2nd T20I (N), New Zealand tour of India at Rajkot, Nov 4 2017". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  14. ^ "3rd T20I (N), Rajkot, January 07, 2023, Sri Lanka tour of India". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
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22°21′47″N 70°42′36″E / 22.363°N 70.710°E / 22.363; 70.710

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