The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, also known as VCA Stadium, is situated in the city of Nagpur in Maharashtra, India. It is one of the largest stadiums in the world in terms of the field area.

The VCA stadium has been praised by many cricketing greats ever since its inception in 2008. During the 2010 Indian T20 League, Rajasthan Royals’ Late Shane Warne hailed the ‘largeness of the ground’ after his team’s win over Deccan Chargers. Overall, it has hosted three Indian T20 League matches, all during the 2010 season.

Talking about the Indian domestic circuit, the ground is home to Vidarbha and Central Zone teams for Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy respectively. 

Here, we will have a look at T20I records of the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) stadium.

VCA Stadium T20I records

Highest total: The highest total in a T20I match at the VCA Stadium is 215/5 made by Sri Lanka in the 1st T20I of 2009/10 Sri Lanka Tour of India. Interestingly, it was the first T20I played on this ground. Ashish Nehra and Ashok Dinda made their T20I debuts for India. Unfortunately, India lost that match by 29 runs.

Lowest total: The lowest total in a T20I match at the VCA Stadium is 79/10 made by India against New Zealand in 2016. Moreover, it remains the only instance where a team was bowled out for a score less than 100 at the VCA stadium in this format. Skipper MS Dhoni was the lone warrior for India with a run-a-ball knock of 30 as India lost the encounter by 47 runs.

Highest individual score: Bangladesh batter Mohammad Naim holds the record of the highest individual score in a T20I at this stadium. He smashed a 48-ball 81 against India in the third T20I of the 2019 Bangladesh Tour of India. However, his efforts went in vain as India emerged victorious by 30 runs.

Best bowling: Indian pacer Deepak Chahar holds the record for best bowling figures in a T20I match at VCA stadium. It is the same match where Naim registered the highest individual score in a T20I at VCA stadium. Chahar’s match-winning spell of 6/7 got him the man of the match award.

Highest partnership: Two pairs of batters hold the record of highest partnership of 98 runs at the VCA stadium. Afghanistan’s Samiullah Shinwari and Mohammad Nabi stitched together a fifth-wicket partnership of 98 runs against Zimbabwe in the 2016 ICC T20I World Cup group stage which was matched three years later by Bangladesh’s Mohammad Naim and Mohammad Mithun against India in 2019.

 

Featured photo: AFP / Navin Varma