Niranjan Shah Stadium Pitch Report: In a span of 21 years, Niranjan Shah Stadium which is named after a sports administrator, Niranjan Shah, has evolved from vacant land to a renowned hub for modern-day cricket. After approval in 2004, the design is oriented in a way that hosts spectators with plenty of space to move around. Niranjan Shah Stadium holds the capacity to allow 28,000 spectators to watch the live match in Rajkot.
Transitioning from Rajkot Stadium to Niranjan Shah Stadium, it is the first cricket ground in Gujarat which is a solar-enabled stadium. The extended outfield is reliable for net practice. This stadium is also known for its unique boundary length in all four directions. International cricket matches and the Indian Premier League (IPL) are major games to enjoy here. The boundary length is modified during the IPL matches which is also a reason that the ball is often seen in the air. Saurashtra Cricket Association operates this stadium which is home to the Saurashtra team in Ranji matches. In the IPL, Gujarat Lions represent the home team.
From the first international ODI and T20 in 2013 to the Test in 2016, this stadium has historically favored the batting lineup. Indian star players Ravindra Jadeja, and Cheteshwar Pujara have raised their innings with triple centuries in this stadium. It can be fairly stated that batters rule over the bowling side. The two bowling ends are the Pavilion end, and the Media end. In Jamnagar, this stadium is located at Paddhari, Rajkot District, Gujarat, 360110. Let’s delve deeper into pitch behavior to understand whether it supports batters or bowlers.
Niranjan Shah Stadium Overview
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Paddhari, Rajkot District, Gujarat, 360110 |
| Also Known As | Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Khandheri Cricket Stadium |
| Opened | 2009 |
| Capacity | 28,000 |
| Shortest Boundary Distance | 28 meters |
| Longest Boundary Distance | 50 meters |
| Bowling Ends | Pavilion end, Media end |
| Highest Total | 649/9d (149.5 Overs) by India vs West Indies |
| Lowest Total | 87 (16.5 Overs) by South Africa vs India |
| Flood Lights | Yes |
| Pitch | Grass |
Niranjan Shah Stadium, Pitch Rajkot Report: Batting or Bowling?
The flat pitch dynamics please the batters at Niranjan Shah Stadium. The batting-oriented ground permits the batsmen to put forward the best foot. The ball bounces throughout the match which leads to huge scores and ideal shots. The rigidity and flatness allow the batting side to lead the game before advancing to the second half of the match. Gradually, the chasing conditions are not ideal as the match moves towards the conclusion. This pattern indicates that it is preferable to set up a big total while playing first instead of depending on increasing the required run rate in the second inning. Whereas, the bowling unit depends on coming up with variations to resist the momentum batsmen fetch on the pitch at Niranjan Shah Stadium.
The shorter length of the boundary gives an upper edge to the batsman. Batters often target this area which is key to raising the innings ending up with a typical big total. However, even hitters have a hard time attempting to play big shots on the longest boundary length. With tactical batting, the T20 battles are worth watching as a batting unit has the majority of factors in their favor.
Niranjan Shah Stadium, Pitch Rajkot Records: Overall Cricket Format Ground Figures
| Ground Figure | ||||
| Format | Played | Bat | Bowl | Inaugural Match |
| Test matches | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 November, 2016 |
| One-Day Internationals | 7 | 6 | 1 | 11 January, 2013 |
| Twenty 20 Internationals | 6 | 4 | 2 | 10 October, 2013 |
Niranjan Shah Stadium T20I Records
It is spectacular for the batting team to play first in T20 Internationals at Niranjan Shah Stadium. In the last five matches, the defending team won three times. Suryakumar Yadav’s bat exploded runs for India with his 112 off 51 balls contributing to a win against Sri Lanka by 91 runs. Besides Sky, Colin Munro is also one of the rare batsmen who have smashed a century in a T20I match at this ground.
STATS – T20I
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Matches | 6 |
| Matches won batting first | 4 |
| Matches won bowling first | 2 |
| Average 1st innings score | 186 |
| Average 2nd innings score | 146 |
| Highest total recorded | 228/5 (20 Overs) – 🇮🇳 IND vs 🇱🇰 SL |
| Lowest total recorded | 87/10 (16.5 Overs) – 🇿🇦 RSA vs 🇮🇳 IND |
| Highest score chased | 202/4 (19.4 Overs) – 🇮🇳 IND vs 🇦🇺 AUS |
| Lowest score defended | 171/9 (20 Overs) – 🏴 ENG vs 🇮🇳 IND |
STATS – TEST
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Matches | 3 |
| Matches won batting first | 2 |
| Matches won bowling first | 0 |
| Average 1st innings score | 543 |
| Average 2nd innings score | 329 |
| Average 3rd innings score | 295 |
| Average 4th innings score | 147 |
| Highest total recorded | 649/9 (149.5 Overs) – 🇮🇳 IND vs 🇻🇨 WI |
| Lowest total recorded | 122/10 (39.4 Overs) – 🏴 ENG vs 🇮🇳 IND |
| Highest score chased | 0/0 (0 Overs) – No successful chases |
| Lowest score defended | 122/10 (39.4 Overs) – 🏴 ENG vs 🇮🇳 IND |
STATS – ODI
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Matches | 7 |
| Matches won batting first | 6 |
| Matches won bowling first | 1 |
| Average 1st innings score | 332 |
| Average 2nd innings score | 254 |
| Highest total recorded | 435/5 (50 Overs) – 🇮🇳 INDW vs 🇮🇪 IREW |
| Lowest total recorded | 131/10 (31.4 Overs) – 🇮🇪 IREW vs 🇮🇳 INDW |
| Highest score chased | 241/4 (34.3 Overs) – 🇮🇳 INDW vs 🇮🇪 IREW |
| Lowest score defended | 270/7 (50 Overs) – 🇿🇦 RSA vs 🇮🇳 IND |
Niranjan Shah Stadium Pitch Weather Report
| Location | Weather | Temperature | Humidity | Probability of Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niranjan Shah Stadium | Sunny | 27-19°C | 36% | No Chance |
The weather forecast indicates sunny weather for the next few days in Rajkot. The temperature is expected to vary back and forth from 27-19 degrees Celsius while humidity will be 36%. The wind will flow between 10-8 km/h. As the weather will be mostly sunny, there is no occurrence of rain in Rajkot considering the upcoming days.
Also see:
- Suryakumar Yadav Records and Stats at Niranjan Shah Stadium
- Arshdeep Singh Records and Stats at Niranjan Shah Stadium
- Axar Patel Records and Stats at Niranjan Shah Stadium
- Washington Sunder Records and Stats at Niranjan Shah Stadium
- Ben Duckett Records and Stats at Niranjan Shah Stadium
- Mark Wood Records and Stats at Niranjan Shah Stadium
FAQs
Q. 1 What is the seating capacity of Niranjan Shah Stadium?
Ans. The seating capacity of Niranjan Shah Stadium is 28,000.
Q. 2 What is the size of the Niranjan Shah Stadium boundary?
Ans. The shortest length of the boundary is 28 meters, while the longest one is 50 meters.
Q. 3 What is the pitch report for Niranjan Shah Stadium?
Ans. At Niranjan Shah Stadium, the batting side takes advantage of winning the toss to bat first as the pitch is conditioned to offer dominance to batters. Once the pitch is slow while chasing a big total under floodlights, the difficulty arises in playing match-winning strokes.
