Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, also known as the New VCA Stadium or Jamtha Stadium, is a cricket stadium located at Jamtha on the southern outskirts of Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. It is the second-largest cricket stadium in India in terms of playing-field area, behind only the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.
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Quick Facts
| Location | Jamtha, Nagpur, Maharashtra |
| Inaugurated | 2008 |
| Capacity | 45,000 |
| Owner/Operator | Vidarbha Cricket Association |
| Home team(s) | Vidarbha cricket team, Central Zone (Duleep Trophy) |
| Architect | Shashi Prabhu |
| First Test | 6–10 November 2008, India vs Australia |
| First ODI | 28 October 2009, India vs Australia |
History
The stadium was built to replace the older Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground as Nagpur’s primary cricket venue, under the initiative of then-BCCI president Shashank Manohar, a Nagpur native who sought a state-of-the-art facility for his home city. Designed by architect Shashi Prabhu, the ground opened in 2008 and immediately hosted a Test between India and Australia, with Sachin Tendulkar scoring the venue’s first century as India won by 172 runs.
The stadium quickly drew praise for its scale and facilities. Former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi called it “by far the best stadium in India,” while players including Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne commented favourably on its size and player amenities. Commentator Alan Wilkins likened it to a “Colosseum.”
As of January 2020, the venue had hosted more T20I matches than any other Indian stadium.
Notable Events
- 2008 – Sachin Tendulkar’s century in the inaugural Test as India defeated Australia by 172 runs.
- 29 January 2017 – A last-over T20I thriller against England, won by India by five runs thanks to Jasprit Bumrah’s death bowling.
- 2017 – Filed against by police for alleged lack of proper permissions during an India–England match, drawing scrutiny of the venue’s administrative practices.
Records
- Highest team total: 610/6 declared, India vs Sri Lanka (Test).
- Lowest team total: 79, jointly recorded by South Africa (Test) and India (T20I).
- Highest individual score: Hashim Amla, 253* vs India (Test).
- Best bowling figures: Jason Krejza, 8/215 for Australia vs India (Test).
- The ground’s playing area is exceptionally large, with straight boundaries of around 80 yards and square boundaries of about 85 yards — among the biggest in world cricket.
Facilities
Spread across roughly 33 acres, the stadium features modern dressing rooms and player facilities that have drawn praise from touring cricketers, along with bucket seating throughout the stands.
Access
Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium is located on the southern outskirts of Nagpur, somewhat removed from the city centre, which has occasionally been noted as an inconvenience for spectators without personal transport.
Related Stadiums
- Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune — a fellow Maharashtra international venue.
- Holkar Stadium, Indore — another major Central Zone cricket ground.
- Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, Raipur — comparable in scale among newer Central Indian venues.
- Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai — Maharashtra’s most famous cricket venue.
