An In-depth Look at the Wonderful Holkar Cricket Stadium

Holkar Cricket Stadium is a cricket ground that can be found in Indore. It was built in 1990 and can hold up to 30,000 spectators. It is the home stadium of Madhya Pradesh cricket team and the Kings XI Punjab. When it comes to international cricket, as of September 2021, it has hosted 5 ODIs, 2 T20 matches, 2 test matches and 9 IPL matches.

The History of the Holkar Cricket Stadium

The land that this cricket stadium was built on was given to the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) by the Holkar descendants of the Maratha Confederacy. They have always been huge pioneers of cricket and encouraged the MPCA to build a new cricket ground. They even have their own team that competes in the Ranji Trophy, and they have won the title four times.

The stadium was originally known as the Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground, but it was renamed to honour the Holkar people.
The first international cricket match that was played at this stadium was an ODI between India and England. This match took place on the 15th of April 2006 and saw India run out as comfortable winners. This meant that India won the series 5-0.

It hosted its one and only test match in October 2016. This was a match between India and New Zealand that the home side went on to win by a whopping 321 runs. This meant that they won the series 3-0.

In 2011, a group got together to decide what to call the various landmarks in and around the venue. After much deliberation, the Press Box was named in honour of HH Maharaja Madhav Rao Scindia, who was the President of BBCI and the MPCA. The pavilion was named after Colonel C.K. Nayudu, who was the first test captain of India, and Captain Mushtaq Ali, who was the first ever Asian player to score a hundred. The dressing rooms were named after Rahul Dravid and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, two fine cricketers from the state of Madhya Pradesh. The gates were named after Amay Khurasia, Narendra Hirwani, and Rajesh Chauhan, who are three other fine cricketers from this part of the country. The box used for commentary was named after the renowned Hindi commentator, Sushil Doshi.

What Noticeable Games Have Been Played at This Stadium?

• India V New Zealand in 2016: This is the only test match that has been played at this stadium, but those who were in attendance got to see a real treat. India batted first and scored a mammoth 557/5d thanks to a double century from Virat Kohli (211) and a century from Ajinkya Rahane (188).

  During the course of India's first innings, 4 of the 5 New Zealand bowlers that bowled conceded more than 100 runs. In reply, New Zealand managed 299 thanks to half-centuries from Martin Guptil (72), Tom Latham (53), and Jimmy Neesham (71).

  Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers with 6 wickets. India scored 216/3d in their second innings, with Cheteshwar Pujara scoring a century (101). This meant New Zealand needed 474 runs to win, but they were skittled out for 153 by Ashin as he picked up another 7 wickets. India won the match by 321 runs.

• India V West Indies in 2011: This was a day/night match that took place on the 8th December. India batted first and scored an impressive 418/5 from their 50 overs. This was largely thanks to a fine double century from Virender Sehwag (219). The West Indies could only muster up 265 in return, despite a fine 96 from Denesh Ramdin. Rahul Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja picked up 3 wickets apiece.
• India V South Africa in 2015: This was a day/night game that was played on the 14th October. It was a low scoring match but, like most low scoring affairs, it was a great game to watch. India batted first and managed 247 runs from their 50 overs, thanks to a fine 92* from Mahendra Singh Dhoni. In reply, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Axar Patel helped to bowl the visitors out for 225, meaning India won the match by 22 runs.
• India V Sri Lanka in 2017: This was a night match that was played on the 22nd of December. It is the only T20 international match that has been played at this ground, but like with the solitary test match, those who were present got their moneys worth. India batted first and scored a huge 260/5 from their 20 overs. This was thanks to Rohit Sharma hitting a stunning 118 from just 43 balls. In reply, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 172 runs, thanks to a fine bowling display from Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Some Fun Statistics to Enjoy

• Virender Sehwag holds the record for most ODI runs scored at this ground. In the 2 matches he played in, he scored 220 runs at an average of 110.00. However, it should be pointed out that 219 of these 220 runs came in one match. The 219 that he scored against the West Indies is also the highest ODI score on this ground.
• In the 5 ODI matches that have been played here, only David Miller and Suresh Raina have got out for a duck.
• Yusuf Pathan has the highest ODI strike rate at this stadium. In a match against England in 2008, he scored 50* from 29 balls, giving him an impressive strike rate of 172.41.
• Shanthakumaran Sreesanth has the best ODI bowling figures on this ground. In the one match that he played here he picked up 6 wickets for 55 runs.
• Ravichandran Ashwin has only played a solitary test match at this ground, but he still has 13 wickets to his name.
• Kemar Roach is the player responsible for conceding the most ODI runs in a single innings at this ground. In a match against India on the 8th December 2011, he conceded 88 runs from his 10 overs.

Is It a Must to Watch a Match at This Cricket Stadium?

If you are in the locality when a match is scheduled to be played at this postage stamp of a stadium, we highly recommend that you grab yourself a ticket and head along to watch the action. Due to the small size of the stadium, you will feel like you are right on top of the events that are unfolding during the match. If you are watching a limited overs game, you might want to wear a hard hat because the small boundary sizes mean that there is a good chance the ball will be hurtling towards your head.

Some stadiums allow the public to visit when matches are not being played, but the Holkar Cricket Stadium is not one of them. Therefore, if you cannot make it to a game but still want to check the inside of this stadium out, you will have to try and find a friendly member of staff who will be more than happy to show you about quickly.

Is it Easy to Get to the Stadium?

This stadium is in the middle of the city, so it is very easily accessible by bus or by train. There are a number of train stations and bus stops near the stadium, meaning you don't have to walk far when you get off the public transport. This is always good news as there is nothing fun about having to walk a long distance, especially in the heat of summer.

You could rent a car to get to the stadium, but we wouldn't really recommend this as finding a place to park will probably end up being a complete nightmare. If you don't want to take public transport, you can get a taxi for a reasonable price.

Once you have finished watching the cricket match, what is there to do for the rest of your stay in Indore? Well, we really think that you should visit Lal Bagh Palace, Rajwada Palace, Annapurna Temple, Patalpani Waterfalls, Pipliyapala Regional Park, Mandu, and Shri Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga.

When it comes down to where you are going to stay, you will be happy to know that there are so many great hotels that you can stay at that won't break the bank. No matter what your style or budget is, you will be able to find a hotel that will help make your stay in this city even more enjoyable.