Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, also known as Rajkot Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Khanderi area of Rajkot City in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Recently, the Rajkot Cricket Stadium’s official name was changed to Niranjan Shah Stadium from Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium on 14 February 2024, in honor of former first-class cricketer and honorary secretary of the Saurashtra Cricket Association—Niranjan Shah. The Rajkot Stadium is Gujarat’s first cricket stadium to operate on solar energy.
It is a newly built cricket stadium that was opened to the public in 2009. The Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium has a seating capacity of 28,000. The first-ever international cricket match at this stadium was played between India and Australia on 10 October 2013.
| Venue Name | Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium |
| Also Known as | Niranjan Shah Stadium, Khandheri Cricket Stadium |
| Opened | 2009 |
| Location | Saurashtra Cricket Association, Jamnagar – Rajkot Hwy, opp. GETCO, Rajkot, Gujarat 360110 |
| Seating Capacity | 28,000 |
| Pitch Behaviour | Batting-friendly flat tracks with some assistance to spinners |
| Shortest Boundary Distance | 61 meters |
| Longest Boundary Distance | 67 meters |
| Bowling Ends | Pavilion End, Pavilion End |
| Floodlights | Yes |
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium Photos
Rajkot Pitch Report & Pitch Behaviour
The pitch at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium is a renowned batting track where batters usually find it easy to score big runs. An average Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium pitch report suggests that it is a flat batting track that can provide some assistance to spinners in the later stages of a test match. But in white ball cricket, bowlers find it pretty tough to get something from the deck at this venue.
Rajkot Stadium Pitch Report (Pitch Behavoiur)
The pitch at Rajkot Stadium has been described as a good batting wicket where high-scoring encounters are quite frequent.
Characteristics of Rajkot Cricket Stadium Pitch
A flat wicket good for batting
The pitch at Rajkot Stadium is generally flat; that’s why it provides a lot of assistance to batsmen to score big runs.
Flat but turning & favor spinners later
The pitch at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium can be flat, or it can be low with some turn. Initially, the pitch plays well for the first two days and then starts to turn, which makes it easier for spinners to bowl on this wicket.
Read More: Wankhede Stadium Mumbai Pitch Report || Arun Jaitley Stadium Pitch Report
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium Records & Stats
There have been a total of 12 international cricket matches in Rajkot Stadium where the first-inning score is generally higher compared to other international cricket grounds in India (an indication that the pitch at this venue is good for batting). 649/9 Dec is the highest score at this stadium achieved by India against the West Indies in a test match. The lowest score is 87 recorded by South Africa, against India in a T20I match.
| Total Matches | 12 |
| Average 1st inning score | 544 in Tests 322 in ODIs 189 in T20Is |
| Highest total recorded | 649/9 dec by India vs West Indies in Tests 352/7 by Australia vs India in ODIs 228/5 by India vs Sri Lanka in T20Is |
| Lowest total recorded | 122 by England vs India in Tests 286 India vs Australia in ODIs 87 by South Africa vs India in T20Is |
| Highest score chased | N/A in Tests N/A ODIs 202/4 by India vs Australia in T20Is |
| Highest individual score | 214* by Yashaswi Jaiswal for India vs England in Tests 103 by Quinton De Kock for South Africa vs India in ODIs 112*by Surya Kumar Yadav for India vs Sri Lanka in T20Is |
| Best bowling performance | 5/41 by Ravindra Jadeja for India vs England in Tests 4/39 by Morne Morkel for South Africa vs India in ODIs 4/18 by Axar Patel for India vs South Africa in T20Is |
India Record at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
India played a total of 12 matches at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot and won 7 of those 12 games, meanwhile, they lost 4 and drew one.
| Played | 12 |
| Won | 7 |
| Lost | 4 |
| Tied | 0 |
| Draw | 1 |
| No Result | 0 |
India Test Record at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
India played 3 test matches at Rajkot Cricket Stadium and won two of them, and the remaining one ended in a draw.
| Played | 3 |
| Won | 2 |
| Lost | 0 |
| Tied | 0 |
| Draw | 1 |
| No Result | 0 |
India ODI Record at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
There have been 4 ODI matches at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot in which India has taken part. But India has an awful ODI record at Rajkot Cricket Stadium, with one win and 3 losses from 4 matches.
| Played | 4 |
| Won | 1 |
| Lost | 3 |
| Tied | 0 |
| Draw | 0 |
| No Result | 0 |
India T20I Record at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
At Rajkot Stadium, India played 5 T20I matches; of those 5 games, they won 4 and lost just one.
| Played | 5 |
| Won | 4 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Tied | 0 |
| Draw | 0 |
| No Result | 0 |
Read More: Arnos Vale Stadium || Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium IPL Records
The first-ever IPL match at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium was played between the Rising Pune Super Giants and Gujarat Lions on April 13, 2016. A total of 10 IPL matches have taken place at this stadium so far, and 7 of them were won by the second batting side, while three ended in favor of the team that batted first. 213/2 is the highest total in IPL at the venue, registered by Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Gujarat Lions on 18 April 2017. Virat holds the record for the highest individual score at Rajkot Cricket Stadium with his 100* inning against the Gujarat Lions.
| City | Khandheri, Rajkot | ||
| Country | India | ||
| Also or previously Known as | Khandheri Cricket Stadium, Niranjan Shah Stadium, Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium | ||
| First Match | 14/04/2016 | ||
| Last T20 Match | 29/04/2017 | ||
| Matches Played | 10 | ||
| Matches Won Batting First | 3 | ||
| Matches Won Batting Second | 7 | ||
| Matches Won Winning Toss | 4 | ||
| Matches Won Losing Toss | 6 | ||
| Matches with No Result | 0 | ||
| Highest Individual Innings | 100* | V Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) | 24/04/2016 v Gujarat Lions |
| Best Bowling | 5/17 | A J Tye (Gujarat Lions) | 14/04/2017 v Rising Pune Supergiant |
| Highest Team Innings | 213/2 (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) | 18/04/2017 v Gujarat Lions | |
| Lowest Team Innings | 153 (Mumbai Indians) | 29/04/2017 v Gujarat Lions | |
| Highest Run Chase Achieved | 182/4 (Gujarat Lions) | 24/04/2016 v Royal Challengers Bengaluru | |
| Average Runs per Wicket | 30.99 | ||
| Average Runs per Over | 8.67 | ||
| Average Score Batting First | 169 | ||
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium Map & Location
The address of the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium is Saurashtra Cricket Association, Jamnagar – Rajkot Hwy, opp. GETCO, Rajkot, Gujarat 360110.
FAQs
Is Rajkot a batting pitch?
The pitch at Rajkot Stadium is a flat track that assists batters; however, in the later stages of a test match, it also provides some assistance to spinners.
What is the new name of Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium?
The new name of Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium is Niranjan Shah Stadium.
How big is Rajkot Stadium?
Rajkot Stadium can accommodate 28,000 people on a match day, which makes it a decent-sized cricket stadium.
What is the boundary size of Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium?
The longest boundary at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium measures 67 meters, while the shortest one measures only 61 meters.
