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The Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium gets ready for its first international game , Clicked by Daya Sagar/ESPNcricinfo
It has been a long wait of 17 years to finally see Gwalior hosting their international match! Located on the outskirts of the historic city, Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium will make its debut in the international circuit, with its newly built look. the brand new stadium will host the first T-20I match against Bangladesh today, 6th October. Presently it has a capacity of 30,000, but with the completion of phase 2, the seat count will increase visibly to 55,000.
The venue got its name from the former BCCI president, the late Madhavrao Scindia, and took a solid 7 years to get in shape. A decent seating capacity, indoor training spaces, and modern media arrangements with scenic beauty still have a drawback of drainage, which the stadium authorities are still working on. Once done, it can easily stand out as one of the steady rivals to many stadiums in India.
The stadium, however, maintains a safe distance from the hustle and bustle of the main city. Yet the distance is not enough to reach the fans, thanks to their love for the sport. The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) is confident about the stadium hosting many international matches, including Tests, in the near future.
A stadium with scenic blessings
The Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Stadium rests gently in the nest of Chambal Hills. The stunning backdrop will aid the seconds and minutes of boredom that may wave at the fans in the middle of any match.
The stadium venue is technically located near the Mumbai-Agra highway bypass. This gives an added advantage to the fans even while driving towards the stadium. The beauty of the road and the stadium adorn, and complement the game in a way, beyond words. The wide-open spaces and panoramic views of the hills add charm to it, making it picture-perfect for a floodlight-studded day-night match.
The unmatched craze of fans
Amidst all these, the X-factor that boosts the confidence is the fans' craze. Recently, during the Madhya Pradesh Premier League final, the air was filled with cheers and roars! The excitement was unmatched, but there may be some closer to that in the Eden Gardens or the Wankhade Stadium. Thousands of fans gathered both inside and outside the glove. A state league had just given a glimpse of the craze in Gwalior.
The decibels touch the topmost limit with the roars, completely ignoring the regular quietness of the stadium.
The first T-20 match against Bangladesh, won't fall short of any hype and craze from the fans.
Captain Roop Singh Stadium: A Nostalgia that hits deep
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The Captain Roop Singh Stadium—the stadium where "God" Sachin Tendulkar scripted history by scoring his first-ever ODI double century in 2010. Unfortunately, that was the last ever international match the stadium hosted. For locals, the memories have been etched deep in their minds, making the stadium an important point on the map.
Other notable matches hosted by the stadium
- India-West Indies match in the 1996 World Cup,
- The fourth India-Pakistan ODI in 2007,
- India's win against Australia in the TVS Cup months after their 2003 World Cup final defeat to the same opposition,
- Kenya's first win over India in an international match, and
- Two ODIs against England in 1993 on consecutive days.
- The 1997 Ranji Trophy final was also held in this stadium, the only day-night Ranji Trophy final to date.
Key Stats from the Madhya Pradesh T20 League
Although the T-20I will be the inaugural international match, the venue has hosted 12 matches in the Madhya Pradesh T20 League. Statistics are saying that the average first-inning total was 171.
The teams breached the 200-run mark two times in the league. In one of the matches, a team scored 278 runs in the first inning. While chasing, the opponent scored 239 runs.
| Madhya Pradesh T20 League 2024 key stats | |
| Team | Won |
| Batting First | 4 |
| Batting Second | 8 |
Pitch report and ground conditions for IND vs BAN 1st T20 at Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Stadium
The pitch at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Stadium looks favourable to batsmen, for the at least first 40 overs.
The stadium, however, has small straight boundaries but larger square boundaries. This can aid the fast bowlers with their tactics, to bowl hard lengths. Good-length deliveries might come onto the bat nicely, allowing batters to hit through the line.
A New Era for Gwalior Cricket Begins
The state already had the Holkar Stadium in the middle, where the life of the state exists. The Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Stadium will add glory and definitely some finance to the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MCPA).
With the modern facilities harmonized with the panoramic view of Chambal Hills, the board is confident to attract big matches to this venue.
The Bangladesh match looks like a good start; however, the officials are aiming for Test matches.
The MPCA and local officials have put significant effort and money into the setup. With the completion of phase two, the drainage system will be better. And a modern dressing room and other facilities will be added.
The new avatar of Captain Roop Singh Stadium hopefully will grow big and strong enough to relinquish the legacies and memories of the past days.