Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad (Uppal Stadium)
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium- this name is fairly famous among many as Uppal Stadium. This ground has made history in Indian cricket by being host to many contests especially the matches between Sunrisers Hyderabad and their opposing franchises. The Co-Governing body to the cricket stadium is Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), which manages the ground since it was finished and opened to the public in 2004.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad are based in this stadium and it competes in the IPL. Its surface area measures about 15 acres and can hold approximately 39,200 spectators. Since then, it has hosted several Important events of India as well, like ODIs and other such important events of cricket.
This stadium has been dedicated in the memory of Rajiv Gandhi and has been active since it first opened its doors to the masses. The first one day international match to be played here was within the year of its opening, in which India played against South Africa. Since its establishment it has graduated on the significance scale and has hosted many much sorts of IPL matches and even ICC events.
Ground Dimensions of Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
The ground dimensions of Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium possesses dimensions that complement and create an excellent global cricketing venue. Here are some key details:
- Length of the Pitch: The regulation pitch length of 22 yards (20.12 meters) is maintained.
- Boundary Length: The distance from the center of the playing area to the boundary is in the range of approximately 65 to 70 meters.
- Overall Area: This stadium encompasses approximately 15 acres of land, leaving enough space for the audience and for facilities.
There are two ends in the stadium, the Pavilion End and the North End, the latter being the North End in honor of Indian cricketer VVS Laxman. All of these dimensions and features do help make Rajiv Gandhi International Stadion a very good cricket venue.
Rajiv Gandhi Stadium Boundary Length
The pitch configuration will or will not change the boundary length of the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium, which generally varies between a distance of 65-70 meters from the pitch till the boundary line. Such a short-sided boundary always results in a very high-scoring match and hence makes it a great playing and viewing arena.
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is special for a number of reasons:
- Exceptional Incorporations: What gives Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium the uniqueness is it has a large seating capacity of around 39,200 making it the best venue for cricket in India along with floodlights and state of the art modern facilities.
- Historical Significance: Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi is accorded reverence by having the prefix attached to his name, which represents the development of cricket in Hyderabad and encompasses innumerable iconic matches.
- High-Scoring Ground: Because of the stadium’s smaller size, it is revered for its larger and higher-scoring games, which brings the audiences into a better experience.
Recent Changes
The recently commenced renovation works were as part of preparations for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. Improvement cost of about ₹120 crore was set aside that included covering the east and west stands and installing new seats to replace old ones. Though the east stand modifications were applied in the World Cup, it was only in the latter stance that modifications to the west stand were made. These were fundamental changes since its establishment in 2005 the year it was built.
Major Events
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium was home to a number of important events, including:
- IPL Finals: The finals of the IPL were held at the stadium in the years 2017 and 2019.
- International Matches: There were only 6 Test matches, 10 ODIS, and 3 T20I’S up to October of 2024 that were held in this center.
- 2023 Cricket World Cup: This tournament also marked the first ICC event that took place at this stadium, thus in a way, making history at the venue for the first time.
Such factors help in making the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium as one of the important venues in the cricketing arena.
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Some memorable moments from matches played at the stadium
Here are a few matches that will be remembered for the reasons below for having been played at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium:
- Yuvraj Singh’s 233: Yuvraj Singh scored an astonishing 233 runs against New Zealand and this was recorded in 2017 as one of the highest individual scores made at the stadium and showcasing his explosive batting talent
- India’s 500th ODI win: In the year 2019, such 500th One Day International victory was celebrated at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium and this is considered to have been a remarkable milestone in the history of Indian cricket.
- Shubman Gill’s 208: Shubman Gill scored 208 runs against New Zealand in 2023 making a record at Rajiv Gandhi International stadium for the highest individual score.
- High scoring t20I: On December 2019, During a T20 International match between the West Indies and India, that featured a massive 27 sixes, India went on to win the match and set this there as the match with the highest number of sixes in T20I played in India.
- First day night Test Match: October 2020 saw the stadium hosting India’s first day-night Test match in one of its historic event for both this stadium and Indian cricket.
- Asia Cup Final (2018): This venue has also been get recognition when calling the Asia Cup Final between India and Bangladesh and therefore the Stadium has built its reputation further as one of the preferred venues for international events.
- Finals of the IPL: The fans attend the matches of the IPL conducted at the stadium many times, it is worth to mention, finals in 2017 or 2019, so the place is an active site in the course of IPL.
- Pakistan Makes the Best Run Chase: Pakistan has the distinction of making the highest successful run chase in World Cup championships at this venue during the cricket world cup 2023 as they made 345 against Sri Lanka at this venue.
Such moments highlights the kind of importance attached to the stadium as an entertainment center for perfect cricket memorable performances.