Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium

Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, also known as Khandheri Cricket Stadium (Lion's Den, because of the new IPL team based here) is a cricket stadium in Rajkot, India.

History

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 fans. The stadium is a part of a larger sports complex that will include venues for other sports such as badminton, basketball, and volleyball. It will host 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 lots of 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 US$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-hundred.

It hosted its first One Day International match on January 11, 2013.^[2] India played against England in a Day-night ODI. The high scoring match both teams scored 300+ runs was won by England by nine runs.

It also hosted the only T20 International match on October 10, 2013 between India against Australia during the Australia Tour of India Oct-Nov 2013. The match first saw Aaron Finch's 89 runs knock and then the return of Yuvraj to international cricket in which he scored unbeaten 77 runs as India chase down the 201 runs.

Panoramic view before IND vs SA 3rd ODI 2015

In November 2015, the stadium was selected one of the six new Test venue 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.^[3]

One Day International Matches

List of ODI matches hosted at this stadium

S No	Team (A)	Team (B)	Winner	Margin	Year
1	India	England	England	By 9 runs	2013
2	India	South Africa	South Africa	By 18 runs	2015

Twenty20 International Matches

List of Twenty20 International matches hosted at this stadium

S No	Team (A)	Team (B)	Winner	Margin	Year
1	India	Australia	India	By 6 wickets	2013

References

External links

• Cricinfo
• Cricketarchive

Coordinates: 22°21′47″N 70°42′36″E / 22.363°N 70.710°E / 22.363; 70.710