Niranjan Shah Stadium

It is Gujarat's first solar-powered stadium.

Niranjan Shah Stadium

SCA Khandheri Stadium
Ground information
Location	Rajkot, Gujarat, India
Establishment	2008
Capacity	28,000
Owner	Saurashtra Cricket Association
Operator	Saurashtra Cricket Association
Tenants	Indian cricket team Saurashtra cricket team Gujarat Lions (defunct)
End names
Pavilion End
International information
First Test	9–13 November 2016:  India v  England
Last Test	15–18 February 2024:  India v  England
First ODI	11 January 2013:  India v  England
Last ODI	27 September 2023:  India v  Australia
First T20I	10 October 2013:  India v  Australia
Last T20I	7 January 2023:  India v  Sri Lanka
As of 19 February 2024 Source: ESPNcricinfo

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, this stadium hosted its first Test, India vs England. Although, the Test match ended in a draw.

 

Initially, the stadium was being used for Ranji Trophy matches, when the spectator stands were still being constructed. 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 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 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. The stadium was the home ground of the Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016. It hosted five matches in the season.

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

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

Niranjan Shah Stadium has implemented a solar rooftop system, making it one of the solar-powered venues in India. 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. Additionally, the stadium has plans for expanding its green power generation capabilities in the future. These measures are part of the stadium's approach to sustainability.

Key

• * 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

No.	Player	Team	Score	Balls	Inns.	Opposing team	Date
1	Joe Root	England	124	180	1	India	9 November 2016
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
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	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

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

Twenty20 Internationals

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

Tests

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
2	Ravindra Jadeja	15 February 2024	India	England	4	12.4	41	5	India won