All about Barsapara Stadium
The Barsapara Stadium is a cricket stadium that is found in Guwahati. Its official name is the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Cricket Stadium and it was built in 2012, making it one of the newer stadiums in the country. When it hosted its only T20I in October 2017 it became the country’s 49th international cricket stadium. It is the home ground of the Assam cricket team.
The History of the Barsapara Cricket Stadium
Tarun Gogoi, the Chief Minister, laid the very first stone for this stadium in 2004, and he also laid the first stones for one of the stands and the club house in July 2007. The fact that the first stone was laid in 2004 and the stadium wasn’t finished until 2012 goes to show how long it took to construct. The state government gave the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) 24 acres of land to build their new stadium on. The area that they were given was originally a tipping ground, so it took them a while to pick up and dispose of all the waste materials that had been dumped here over the years.
In 2009, the ACA released a statement in which they declared that they hoped that the stadium would be finished within a year, but due to a number of situations out of their control, this target was never reached. The first match to be played at this stadium was an East Zone Senior Women’s Interstate One-Day Championship game between Odisha and Assam.
The stadium hosted its first Ranji Trophy matches during the 2013/14 season. Kerala versus Assam was the initial first-class game at the stadium. India against Australia was the first international match that was played at this stadium (you can find out more about this match below), and 38,000 people turned up to watch it. It has also played host to women’s international cricket. When it comes to modern facilities, this stadium has absolutely everything that players and fans could ask for. For the players, there is an indoor swimming pool, a gym, a practice wicket, and a pavilion that wouldn’t look out of place at any of the great cricket grounds around the world. For the fans, the stands are all covered, ensuring that they are not exposed to the elements while watching a match. There are also places to buy refreshments and enough toilets to ensure that queues are not too long.
The outfield is quite unique as it is made out of sand and has special technology installed underneath to ensure that it drains remarkably well. Heavy rainfall is very common in this region, so these measures were put in place to ensure that play resumes as soon as possible after the heavens have opened.
"It is believed the overall cost of this stadium was somewhere in the region of 300 crore."
What Fun Matches Have Been Played at This Stadium?
- India V West Indies in 2018: To date, this is the only ODI match that has been played at this stadium, but those who were in attendance at least got to watch an entertaining match. The West Indies batted first and scored 322 runs from their 50 overs to a century from Shimron Hetmeyer (106) and a half-century from Keiran Powell (51). Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of the Indian bowlers as he picked up 3 wickets for 41 runs from the 10 overs that he bowled. In reply, India chased this target down with absolute ease thanks to magnificent centuries from Rohit Sharma (152*) and Virat Kohli (140). They won the game with 8 wickets remaining and 47 balls left.
- India V Australia in 2017: This was a night T20I match that was played on the 10th of October. India batted first but put in a performance that they definitely won’t look back on in fondness. They were bowled out for 118 runs, thanks to Jason Behrendorff’s 4 wickets for 21 When Australia were batting, India picked up two quick wickets to keep them in with a chance of making a contest out of the game, but a 62 from Moises Henriques and a 48 from Travis Head helped to see Australia home with 27 balls remaining.
- India Women V England Women in 2019: This was a WT20I match that was played on the 4th March. England Women batted first and scored a challenging 160 runs from their 20 This was largely thanks to Tammy Beaumont’s 62 from 57 balls. India Women never got going in their reply and struggled their way to 119 runs from their 20 overs.
- India Women V England Women in 2019: This was a WT20I match that was played on the 7th March. India Women needed to win in order to stay in the series. India Women batted first and scored 111 runs from their 20 England’s Katherine Brunt was their main tormentor as she took 3/17 from her 4 overs. In reply, England Women reached their target with 5 balls to spare thanks to Danielle Wyatt’s 64* from 55 balls.
- India Women V England Women in 2019: This WT20I match was played on the 9th March. England already had an unassailable lead in the series, but it was a chance for India Women to get a consolation win. England Women batted first and they managed to score 119 runs from their 20 In reply, India Women fell agonisingly short by scoring 118 runs. Smriti Mandhana was their best player, scoring 58 runs from just 39 balls. This loss meant that India Women lost the series 3-0.
Some Fun Statistics to Enjoy
- Although there has only been one ODI match played here, Oshane Thomas has bowling figures that will likely keep him at the top of the stadium’s “Most Runs Conceded in a Single ODI Innings" list for a long time. In the match against India in 2018, he was smacked all over the park. In the 9 overs that he bowled, he conceded 83 runs and only picked up 1 At the end of India’s innings, he had a bowling economy of 9.22.
- Kuldeep Yadav is also in the scenario as Thomasbut in the T20 format of the game. In the match against Australia here in 2017, he conceded a whopping 46 runs from the 4 overs that he bowled. At the end of Australia’s innings, he had an economy of 50.
- After one ODI, Rohit Sharma holds the record for the highest score at this stadium. This is thanks to his 152* against the West Indies in 2018. Even if more ODI matches are played here, we expect him to stay at the top of this pile for some time.
- The highest individual T20I score at this stadium is the 62 that Moises Henriques hit against India in 2017. Coincidentally, the highest individual WT20I score is the 62 that Tammy Beaumont hit against India in 2019.
Would We Recommend You Watch a Game at This Cricket Stadium?
If you are in Barsapara when a cricket match is being played at the Barsapara Stadium, then we would definitely recommend that you grab yourself a ticket and head to the game. You will experience a terrific atmosphere as well as getting the opportunity to watch a match at one of the most modern stadiums in the country. Some cricket stadiums in India allow the general public to visit when there are no matches to be played, but the majority do not. Unfortunately, the Barsapara Stadium falls into the latter category. Therefore, if you are in Barsapara and there is no match scheduled to be played, your only chance of getting a look inside this wonderful stadium is by asking a member of staff and hoping that they will be more than happy to grant you entry.
Is it Easy to Get to the Stadium?
As cricket is such a big thing in India, the cricket stadiums are mostly built in places where it is easy for the general public to reach. This is definitely the case with the Barsapara Stadium as it is well served by all methods of public transport. Whether you go there by bus or by train, you will be able to get off at a stop that is quite close to the stadium. You will have to walk for a couple of minutes, but this will allow you to take in all that amazing atmosphere. There is also ample parking space, so if you don’t want to hop on crowded public transport, you should think about hiring a car. You can also get a taxi to the stadium if you so wish.
Once you have spent a day at this stadium watching a match, you will probably start to think about what else there is to see in this wonderful city. Well, in our opinion, you really should visit the Purva Tirupati Shri Balaji Temple, the Umananda Temple, the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary, the Regional Science Center, Guwahati Planetarium, and Chandubi Lake. You are obviously not going to live on the streets while you are visiting this city, so you will need to find a hotel to stay at. You will be happy to hear that there are plenty to choose from. No matter what your budget or style is, we guarantee that you will be able to find a hotel that suits all of your needs.