The Barabati Stadium is an Indian sports stadium used mostly for cricket and association football, and also sometimes for concerts and field hockey, located in Cuttack, Odisha. It is a regular venue for international cricket and is the home ground of Odisha cricket team. The stadium is owned and operated by the Odisha Olympic Association. It is also used for association football. It hosts Santosh Trophy national football tournament and the state's Odisha First Division League football matches.[2] The Barabati Stadium is one of the older grounds in India, having hosted several touring sides – including the MCC, the West Indies team and the Australians – before it hosted its first international cricket match. It hosted only the third one-day international in this country, in January 1982, when India put it across England by five wickets to lift the series 2–1. It hosted its first ever Test match five years later where India played hosts to Sri Lanka. Though it is not a regular Test venue, it continues to host One-Day Internationals regularly. It also hosted the 2013 Women's Cricket World Cup.[3]
The cricket and football venue is equipped with floodlights for day-and-night games and is a regular venue for ODI matches. It was an adopted home venue for former Indian Premier League franchise Deccan Chargers. Barabati Stadium has successfully served as the venue for both Indian Premier League and the now defunct Odisha Premier League. It has also hosted Senior Women's T20 Challenger Trophy 2020 from 4–11 January 2020.[4]
History and development
The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack hosted only the third One Day International in the country, in January 1982, when India beat England by five wickets to win the series 2–1. In the first Test match here, five seasons later, the Sri Lankans were greeted with an underprepared wicket affording vastly unpredictable bounce. Dilip Vengsarkar, then at the most dizzying heights of his career, made his highest Test score of 166, his fourth century in eight Tests, when no other batsman on either side crossed 60. The Lankans were rolled over twice as India seized an innings and 67-run victory. Kapil Dev bagged his 300th Test victim, bowling Rumesh Ratnayake with a ball that failed to sit up.
The only other Test match here, against New Zealand in 1995–96, was badly affected by rain, affording less than 180 overs of playing time. Narendra Hirwani, on a comeback trail, took 6 for 59 in New Zealand's only innings, the best bowling figures here.
Though it is not one of the regular Test venues anymore, it continues to enjoy the status of international venue and hosts One-Day Internationals regularly. India have won one of the two Test matches played here, and have an 11–4 win–loss record in ODIs.
Indoor Hall
In 2012, OCA named the indoor cricket hall at Barabati Stadium after Sachin Tendulkar.
The above partnership is the current world record for the 4th Wicket in ODI Cricket.[7]
The partnership is the current world record for any unbroken partnership.[8]
The most runs scored here in Test cricket was by India who were all out for 400 in 1987 and 298–8 in 1995. The third highest score was by Sri Lanka who were dismassed for 191 runs in 1987.
In Test cricket, the most runs scored here was by Dilip Vengsarkar(166 runs) followed by Kapil Dev(60 runs) and Sri Lankan Roy Dias(58 runs).
The most wickets were taken by Narendra Hirwani and Maninder Singh(6 wickets each) followed by Sri Lankan Ravi Ratnayeke and Kapil Dev (5 wickets each).
In ODIs, the highest score was made by India who scored 381–6 in 2017.
In ODIs, highest individual score at the venue is 152* by Mohammad Azharuddin against Zimbabwe.
On 19 January 2017, in the 2nd ODI match between India vs England Yuvraj Singh 150(127) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni 134(122), both Scored their last century in this Stadium that helped India to reach 381/6 (50 Overs). It was the second highest 4th Wicket partnership of 256 runs at this venue. England scored 366/8 (50 overs) with the help of Eoin Morgan 102(81) runs. As a result, India won the match by 15 runs.
