India and Bangladesh will feature in the inaugural match at the new Gwalior stadium on October 6. (PTI)
International cricket will return to Gwalior after 14 long years but not to the same stadium as before during India’s upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh.
India will play the first-ever match at Gwalior’s new venue, the Shrimant Madhav Rao Scindia Cricket Stadium, when they host Bangladesh in the first T20I of the three-match series on October 6.
Gwalior is one of the key cricketing centres in Madhya Pradesh alongside the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Here is a look at a few facts about international cricket in Gwalior:
– Gwalior’s first ever one-day international dates back to 25th June 1988 when the Captain Roop Singh Stadium in the city hosted India and West Indies. Originally a hockey stadium, the venue was named after Roop Singh, a two-time hockey Olympic gold medal winner in 1932 and 1936. Roop Singh was also the younger brother of Indian hockey legend, Dhyan Chand.
– The Roop Singh Stadium also hosted the first and only day-night Ranji trophy final in 1996 between Mumbai and Delhi. Mumbai emerged victorious in the five-day contest with the first-innings lead.
– Gwalior is also the only venue in India where the hosts have played matches on successive days. India hosted England in two ODIs on the 4th and 5th of March 1993. In the final ODI hosted here in 2010, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar became the first man to record an ODI double hundred.
– Gwalior also hosted South Africa’s second-ever ODI fixture in 1991 during their first tour since a return to international cricket after being suspended for nearly two decades due to the apartheid policy.
– India have hosted eight teams in 12 ODIs at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium across 22 years, winning eight matches. It also played hosts to the 1996 ODI World Cup match between India and the West Indies.
– The last major match held at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium was the 2022 Irani Cup tie between Madhya Pradesh and Rest of India. The RoI side won the title with a 238-run victory with current India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal recording a double hundred and hundred in the match.
