Cricket, widely revered as a quasi-religion in India, boasts a multitude of hallowed venues strewn throughout the nation, each imbued with distinct significance within the sport’s illustrious legacy. One of the cricket stadiums present in the region is the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, which is alternatively referred to as the Assam Cricket Association Stadium or Dr. The Bhupen Hazarika Cricket Stadium has made notable advancements in a relatively brief period following its inception. Located in Guwahati, Assam, this cricketing establishment has significantly evolved from a mere local venue and waste disposal site to a prestigious venue that now proudly hosts renowned international matches. This article provides a thorough account of the chronological history of the stadium, as well as a detailed analysis of its distinctive characteristics, most notably its boundary lengths. Additionally, noteworthy performances in T20, ODI, and IPL matches are documented.
History
The stadium’s inception was marked by a ceremonial laying of its foundation stone in June 2004, presided over by the esteemed former Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi. The cornerstone for the clubhouse and stand of the stadium was ceremoniously established in July of 2007, with the BCCI secretary at the time, Niranjan Shah, in attendance. The Assam Cricket Association was granted a parcel of land measuring 59 bighas by the State Government. In 2006, upon eliminating encroachers from a portion of the land, construction activities were initiated. The stadium was initially designated as a locale for regional contests and was utilized as a landfill before it underwent adequacy preparations to host professional domestic first-class matches.
The inaugural match at the stadium was held on the 4th of November, 2012, featuring an East Zone Senior Women’s Inter-State One-day Championship match contested between Assam and Odisha. During the Ranji Trophy season of 2013-14, the concerned locale provided the venue for four matches, with the opening contest being a first-class encounter between Assam and Kerala.
On the 10th of October, 2017, the stadium provided a venue for its inaugural T20I match involving the Australian and Indian national cricket teams. Australia emerged victorious in the match by a margin of 8 wickets, with a notable presence of 38,132 attendees. On 21 October 2018, The stadium successfully hosted its inaugural One Day International (ODI) where the Indian cricket team locked horns with their West Indies counterpart. The match concluded with India securing an 8-wicket victory.
The formal venue of the inaugural Women’s International Cricket matches was held between 4 March 2019 to 9 March 2019. During the aforementioned time frame, a total of three Women’s Twenty20 International matches transpired between the England women’s cricket team and their Indian counterparts. The WT20I series saw the England women’s cricket team emerge victorious with an unblemished record of 3 wins to 0.
Boundary length
In cricket, the dimensions of the playing area have been observed to have a considerable effect on the outcome of the game. The extent of the perimeter (i. e the physical demarcation outlining the boundaries of the designated playing area) has the potential to influence the level of challenge or ease that batsmen may encounter in their attempts to accumulate runs, particularly in the context of boundary hits that result in scoring four or six runs. A reduced boundary has the potential to confer an advantageous position to batsmen, as it allows for a heightened probability of accruing runs by means of hitting the ball beyond the demarcation line.
The Barsapara Cricket Stadium, commonly referred to as the Assam Cricket Association Stadium, situated in Guwahati, Assam, India, is widely recognized for its notably reduced boundary dimensions. The linear boundaries of the aforementioned ground measure approximately 65 meters, while the square boundaries encompass a distance of roughly 68 meters. This statement highlights that the dimensions of the cricket ground in question are comparatively diminutive vis-a-vis a number of global cricket venues where the boundary can exceed 75 meters in length.
The aforementioned scenario has the potential to render the stadium more conducive for batsmen, given that they may encounter a greater degree of ease in delivering hits that successfully traverse the boundary and result in run accumulation. Nevertheless, the genuine influence can exhibit variability contingent upon multifaceted factors such as the quality of the playing surface, atmospheric conditions, and the abilities of the athletes.
T20 records
The Barsapara Cricket Stadium, also referred to as the Assam Cricket Association Stadium or Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Stadium, is located in Guwahati, India. The Bhupen Hazarika Cricket Stadium is a comparatively new inclusion to the catalogue of cricket venues in the country. Ranked as the largest sports arena in Northeast India, the facility has a seating capacity capable of accommodating up to 45,000 attendees. In 2017, the stadium made its debut on the international stage when it hosted its inaugural T20 match, during the Australia Tour of India.
The Barsapara Cricket Stadium has been the venue for numerous T20I records since its establishment. The top team score at the aforementioned venue was established by Team India during the second T20I of the South Africa Tour of India in 2022, wherein they amassed an impressive 237/3. A notable deviation can be observed in the cumulative score achieved by the India Women’s team during their encounter with the England Women’s team in the second T20I of the England Women Tour of India in 2019. The Indian side could only manage a mere 111/8, which represents the lowest aggregate score among all participants of the aforementioned sporting event.
David Miller of South Africa currently holds the highest score at the Barsapara Stadium. This impressive feat was achieved during the South Africa Tour of India in 2022, as Miller scored an outstanding 106* runs off a mere 47 deliveries. With regards to the sport of bowling, it can be stated that Jason Behrendorff of Australia holds the most noteworthy records at the given venue. Specifically, during the second T20I of the Australian Tour of India in 2017, he secured impressive figures of 4/21, thus earning commendable recognition.
The South African cricket players Quinton de Kock and David Miller attained the preeminent partnership record by amassing an unbeaten score of 174 runs for the fourth wicket during the South Africa Tour of India in 2022. Each of these achievements has significantly contributed to the rapid growth in reputation of the Barsapara Cricket Stadium as a crucial location for the sport of cricket in India.
ODI Records
As of June 2023, the Barsapara Cricket Stadium located in Guwahati, India, has hosted a total of two One Day International (ODI) cricket fixtures. On October 21, 2018, the inaugural match was held in which India competed against the West Indies. The subsequent sporting encounter took place a few years thereafter, specifically on January 10, 2023, wherein Sri Lanka served as India’s adversary. On both instances, India came out with a triumph by significantly defeating the West Indies by 8 wickets and overpowering Sri Lanka with a margin of 67 runs.
The athletic arena has observed an assortment of numerical outcomes throughout these competitions. The Barsapara Cricket Stadium has witnessed the establishment of a noteworthy record, with India accumulating a staggering 373/7 against Sri Lanka during their ODI encounter of 2023, constituting the highest total ever recorded in the stadium’s history. In contrast, the nadir record was concurrently established during the aforementioned match, wherein Sri Lanka garnered a modest sum of 306 runs in opposition to India.
Regarding individual accomplishments, there are a number of notable performances that merit recognition. In the inaugural One Day International match held in 2018, RG Sharma, representing India, achieved an unbeaten score of 152 against the West Indies at the stadium. This represents the most remarkable single score achieved at the location. Additional high-scoring performances comprise of V Kohli’s 140 runs obtained against the West Indies during the same match, as well as his 113 runs scored versus Sri Lanka in the year 2023. Memorable displays from the competitor teams encompass the undefeated 108 runs scored by MD Shanaka on behalf of Sri Lanka in 2023, as well as the 106 runs attained by SO Hetmyer for the West Indies in the 2018 bout.
Regarding the sport of bowling, the exemplary performance figures achieved in the ODI venue are currently held by YS Chahal, an Indian athlete. Chahal accomplished this achievement against the West Indies in the inaugural match, wherein he obtained statistics of 3/41.
IPL Records
The Barsapara Cricket Stadium situated in Guwahati has been the venue of noteworthy performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In terms of team scores, the Rajasthan Royals’ performance was distinguished as the highest, having achieved a score of 199/4 against the Delhi Capitals on the 8th of April 2023. On the 5th of April 2023, Punjab Kings maintained close pursuit and secured a total of 197/4 against the Royals. On the same day, the Royals achieved a commendable score of 192/7 against the Kings. On the 8th of April 2023, the Delhi Capitals accomplished a team total of 142/9 during their match against the Royals.
There exists a noteworthy trend of remarkable individuals and exceptional match records at this particular venue, which holds great importance. Thus far, a singular match has transpired between the Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals, where the former emerged victorious by a slender margin of five runs. Within this stadium, the mean score for the initial innings is 197 scored by an average of four wickets, whereas the subsequent innings corresponds to an average of 192 made by seven wickets. The Punjab Kings achieved the greatest aggregate score of 197/4 in a 20-over match against the Rajasthan Royals, while the Royals recorded the least total of 192/7 against the Kings in a corresponding match.
One of the highly notable individual displays in the sporting event pertains to the commendable performance of Shikhar Dhawan, who hails from the Punjab Kings team. He exhibited remarkable proficiency in scoring the most number of runs and attaining the highest individual score in the game, amassing a total of 86 runs from 56 deliveries. In the realm of bowling, the cricketer Nathan Ellis hailing from Punjab Kings notably exhibited outstanding figures by capturing 4 wickets for a mere 30 runs. Markedly, this performance notably represents the finest bowling record at this particular venue thus far.
Barsapara stadium stats
With regards to the statistical analysis of the sporting event, the stadium has facilitated a single T20 international match which saw the team that batted second emerge victorious. In the initial batting innings, the mean score attained was 118, whereby the Indian team’s total score of 118/10 constituted both the maximum and minimum recorded score. In One Day International (ODI) cricket, an instance has been recorded where the team that batted second emerged victorious. The mean score attained in the initial innings was 322, wherein the maximum and minimum scores were achieved by West Indies, with a score of 322 for eight wickets. According to the most recent update, there has been no occurrence of domestic T20 matches at the aforementioned location.
Events
The Barsapara Cricket Stadium located in the city of Guwahati has been identified as a potential venue for the upcoming 2023 International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup. The tournament is set to commence on the 5th of October in the aforementioned year. The duration of the tournament is slated to span 46 days and it will be staged in 12 different cities located across India, encompassing Guwahati as one of the host destinations. Constructed in the year 2017, the stadium has the capacity to house a maximum of 25,000 attendees, serving as the primary homeground for both the Assam cricket team and the Northeast Frontier Railway cricket team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has sanctioned the hosting of international cricket matches. In the early part of the present calendar year, the stadium was selected as the venue for an ODI encounter between India and Sri Lanka, which took place on January 10. Taranga Gogoi, the President of the Assam Cricket Association, expressed optimism that the prosperous execution of this match would serve as a manifestation of the stadium’s aptitude to host World Cup events.
Famous matches
On October 10th, 2017, the maiden T20 International (T20I) encounter between the Indian and Australian cricket teams took place at the aforementioned stadium. The Australian cricket team emerged victorious in the match, obtaining a lead of 8 wickets. Furthermore, the stadium experienced a notable turnout of 38,132 attendees. The inaugural One Day International (ODI) was convened on the twenty-first of October in the year 2018. The cricket encounter featured an enthralling match-up between India and the West Indies, ultimately concluding with India emerging victorious by a clear margin of 8 wickets. From the 4th to the 9th of March 2019, the stadium played host to the inaugural women’s international cricket event. The cricket matches were contested by the women’s cricket teams of England and India, resulting in a WT20I series victory for England, who secured a 3-0 win.
There have been numerous noteworthy performances exhibited in both One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) arenas. During the One Day Internationals, Shimron Hetmyer of West Indies made a significant contribution by scoring 106 runs against India on the 21st of October, 2018, notwithstanding his team’s ultimate defeat. On the identical date, the Indian cricketers, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma exhibited an impeccable performance, exhibiting outstanding batting skills by scoring 140 and 152* runs respectively against the West Indies, which resulted in a triumph for their team. Moreover, on the 10th of January 2023, Virat Kohli demonstrated his crucial role in India’s triumph against Sri Lanka through his impressive performance of scoring 113 runs. Notwithstanding his noteworthy achievement of scoring 108* runs against India in the aforementioned match, Dasun Shanaka of Sri Lanka was unable to impede his team’s defeat. On the 2nd of October 2022, during the T20Is, David Miller of South Africa delivered a noteworthy performance by accumulating a total of 106* runs against India. However, his team failed to prevail in the match despite his impressive contribution to the game. The latest One Day International (ODI) match held at the aforementioned stadium occurred on the 10th of January, 2023 wherein the cricket teams of India and Sri Lanka contended. In addition, the most recent Twenty20 International (T20I) held at the same venue transpired on the 2nd of October, 2022 featuring India and South Africa teams in opposition.
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Conclusion
The Barsapara Cricket Stadium has emerged as a prominent center for cricket in the northeastern region of India. Over the course of time, the location in question has served as a platform for a multitude of noteworthy exhibitions and high-intensity cricket matches, making a significant contribution to the enlargement of the sport in the given area. The growing eminence of the aforementioned venue in the realm of international cricket is exemplified by its pivotal status as a notable host for the forthcoming 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. As the stadium persists in facilitating enthralling matches and groundbreaking performances, it is conjectured that its prestige will undeniably advance within the chronicles of cricketing history. The Barsapara Cricket Stadium bears witness to the intense passion for cricket in Assam and the Northeastern region, while firmly cementing its place in the broader context of India’s cricket scene.