The Sawai Mansingh Stadium, located in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is one of the most famous cricket venues in India. It was established more than 75 years ago and has hosted many international and domestic matches. From its rich history to the pitch report, we are going to explore this cricket stadium in this article.
Overview
| Location | Jaipur, Rajasthan |
| Owner | Government of Rajasthan |
| Operator | Rajasthan Cricket Association |
| Capacity | 30,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Establishment | 1969 |
International Matches
Here are the first and last matches of different formats of cricket that have been organized in Sawai Mansingh Stadium:
| Only Test | 21 February 1987 | India vs Pakistan |
| First ODI | 2 October 1983 | India vs Pakistan |
| Last ODI | 16 October 2013 | India vs Australia |
| Only T20I | 17 November 2021 | India vs New Zealand |
| First WODI | 25 January 1984 | India vs Australia |
| Last WODI | 21 December 2006 | India vs Sri Lanka |
This cricket ground witnessed its inaugural international match in 1983 between the neighboring countries, India and Pakistan. It was an ODI match that India won by four wickets. Four years later in 1987, a test match between these same teams was held. It became a symbol of peace as Pakistan President General Zia-ul-Haq visited to witness the game as part of his “Cricket for Peace” initiative.
But this peaceful event saw some controversies over the sawdust deposition on the wicket, and the match concluded in a draw. This was the only test match that was held here. We have yet to witness another test match being played on this pitch.
Domestic Cricket
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium is a regular venue for domestic matches. In domestic tournaments like the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, it has been the home ground of the Rajasthan Cricket Team.
Since 2008 when the Indian Premier League started, it has been the home of Rajasthan Royals (RR), the team that won the first title. The RR plays most of their matches in their home ground but unlike many other IPL franchises, they are said to have fewer home advantages due to many reasons. Here you can see some additional details about the stadium’s stats in IPL:
| Highest Total | 217 Runs by SRH |
| Lowest Total | 59 Runs by RR |
| Highest Individual Score | 105 Runs by Ajinkya Rahane |
| Best Bowling Figure | 6/12 by Alzarri Joseph |
Pitch Report
The Sawai Mansingh stadium offers a bowling-friendly pitch, where both pace and spin bowlers get advantages. Batting on this ground is not very easy, boundaries are longer as compared to most stadiums in India. In the history of the IPL, we have witnessed only twice when any team has surpassed the 200-run mark on this ground.
If we talk about the individual scores, only Ajinkya Rahane has scored a century. Considering the pitch conditions and the fact that fast bowlers get some assistance from the surface in initial overs, toss winners often choose to bowl first.
History
The Sawai Mansingh stadium was established in 1959 however it took 24 years before any international match was hosted here. This cricket stadium is named after the former Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Man Singh II.
In 2006, a huge amount ₹400 crore was spent on the renovation of the stadium. A world-class cricket academy consisting of 28 appointed rooms, a gym, a restaurant, two conference halls, and a swimming pool was built as part of the renovation. After the renovation, the seating capacity was also increased.
Since its establishment, we have witnessed many memorable moments in this ground including Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s great knock of 183 runs in 2013 in an ODI match against Australia. This is the highest individual score on this pitch and is yet to be broken.
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