The Ekana Cricket Stadium, also known as Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee (BRSABV) Ekana Cricket Stadium, is an international cricket venue located in Lucknow, India. It wasn’t built very long ago and thus has hosted fewer matches as compared to other famous cricket grounds. It’s owned and operated by the Ekana Sportz City. Here in this article, we are going to explore more such information about this venue.
Overview
Before the establishment of Ekana Cricket Stadium, international cricket matches were held at the K.D. Singh Babu Stadium in Lucknow. With a seating capacity of 50,000, it is the fifth-largest cricket stadium in India, it features the longest straight boundaries among all other stadiums. So far it has hosted 1 test, 9 ODI, and 6 T20I matches. It includes 5 ODI matches in the 2023 World Cup.
Apart from international cricket, it is also a regular venue for domestic matches. It serves as the home ground for the Uttar Pradesh cricket team, the UP women’s cricket team, and the Lucknow Super Giants. In 2019, it also served as the home ground for the Afghanistan cricket team. Here are some additional details about the stadium:
| Also Known As | Ekana International Cricket Stadium |
| Establishment | 2017 |
| Location | Gomti Nagar Extension Lucknow |
| Owner | Ekana Sportz City |
| Capacity | 50,000 |
| Field size | 160 x 156 m |
| Field shape | Round |
| Surface | Grass |
International Matches
Here are the first and last matches of different formats of international cricket that have been hosted at the Ekana Cricket Stadium:
| Only Test | 27–29 November 2019 | Afghanistan vs West Indies |
| First ODI | 6 November 2019 | Afghanistan vs West Indies |
| Last ODI | 3 November 2023 | Afghanistan vs Netherlands |
| First T20I | 6 November 2018 | India vs West Indies |
| Last T20I | 29 January 2023 | India vs New Zealand |
| First WODI | 7 March 2021 | India vs South Africa |
| Last WODI | 17 March 2021 | India vs South Africa |
| First WT20I | 20 March 2021 | India vs South Africa |
| Last WT20I | 23 March 2021 | India vs South Africa |
Domestic Cricket
Apart from the Men’s and Women’s Indian Cricket Team, these teams often play on this ground:
| Tournament | Team | Duration |
| Domestic tournaments | Uttar Pradesh Cricket Team | 2017 – Present |
| Indian Premier League | Lucknow Super Giants | 2021 – Present |
| Women’s Premier League | UP Warriorz | 2023 – Present |
Since the establishment of Ekana Cricket Stadium in 2017, it has been serving as the home ground of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Team in domestic tournaments including the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Vijay Hazare Trophy.
In the Indian Premier League, Lucknow Super Giants call this venue their home. While in the Women’s Premier League (which fans also call women’s IPL), UP Warriorz plays most of their matches on this pitch.
Pitch Report
The Ekana Cricket Stadium pitch has been proven to be favorable to both batsmen as well as bowlers. However, the spin bowlers sometimes feel privileged due to good bounce as the match progresses. Last year the pitch was re-leveled for the World Cup matches. In IPL where we see day-night matches, the pitch was noted to be slow and sluggish.
History of Ekana Cricket Stadium
The construction of the Ekana cricket stadium started in 2014 with a massive budget of INR 360 crores. The Ekana Sportz City and the Lucknow Development Authority together in a public-private partnership built this venue.
After three years, the world-class stadium was finally ready in 2017. In the very first year, it hosted the final match of the 2017–18 Duleep Trophy. The stadium was also supposed to host its inaugural international match in the same year. It was the 3rd ODI between India and New Zealand scheduled to be played on 27 October 2017, but due to some issues, it was shifted to a different venue.
The T20I match between India and the West Indies on 6 November 2018, was the first international game that was hosted in this stadium. Since then it has hosted many international matches including the ICC event, ODI World Cup.
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