Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground, also referred to as Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium, is a relatively recent cricket stadium in India. This stadium is situated in Lucknow and in a short time, it has become significant in international cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL). It is a domestic venue of the Lucknow Super Giants and has hosted some of the major matches, including the matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
The Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground is reputed to have a slow pitch, long boundaries and spinning grounds unlike most Indian grounds where matches are characterized by high scoring. This renders it a place where bowlers, particularly spinners, will dominate the game. Games here tend to be low-scoring and strategic in comparison with other IPL stadiums. This article will provide complete information about Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground Overview
Opened in 2017, the Ekana Cricket Stadium is one of the largest cricket stadiums in India, and has a seating capacity of over 50,000 spectators. The stadium has world-class facilities and a big playing surface that has an influence on the gameplay.
| Feature | Details |
| Location | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh |
| Established | 2017 |
| Capacity | 50,000+ |
| Home Team | Lucknow Super Giants |
| Ends | Pavilion End, City End |
| Boundary Length | 70–80 meters |
| Pitch Type | Slow & spin-friendly |
| Floodlights | Yes |
| IPL Matches | 20+ |
| Known For | Low-scoring matches |
History and Development
Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground construction started in 2014 with Akhilesh Yadav at the helm. The primary objective was to revive international cricket to Lucknow and construct a global stadium with state-of-the-art facilities.
Prior to this stadium, Lucknow used to host matches in the K. D. Singh Babu Stadium, which was not well equipped. It was substituted by Ekana which became the central international location of the city.
In 2018, the stadium conducted its first international match, in which Rohit Sharma scored a brilliant century against West Indies in a T20 match. The stadium has since hosted several international matches of all formats.
It was also used as a temporary home ground by the Afghanistan cricket team, which enhanced its importance even more.
Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground Weather Report
The Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium has the characteristics of the typical North Indian climate that significantly contribute to the development of the matches, particularly the IPL and international cricket.
The weather in Lucknow is usually hot and dry during the cricket season (March to May) and this directly impacts the behavior of the pitch and the performance of players.
- Temperature: Typically 27 0 -40 0 C.
- Day Temperature: 35-38 o C.
- Night Temperature: 20-25 C.
- Humidity: Low to moderate (20 40)
| Factor | Impact on Match |
| Heat | Slows down pitch and tires players |
| Dry Conditions | Helps spinners get grip |
| Dew (Night Matches) | Helps batting second |
| Rain | Rare interruptions |
Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground Records (All Formats)
The Ekana Cricket Stadium has a reputation of having balanced to bowler-friendly matches, as opposed to high scoring stadiums like Mumbai or Bengaluru.
| Category | Record |
| Highest ODI Score | 311/7 – South Africa |
| Lowest ODI Score | 129 – England |
| Highest T20I Score | Around 199 – India |
| Lowest T20I Score | 99 – New Zealand |
| Only Test Match | 277 West Indies vs Afghanistan(2019) |
Top Batting Records
| Player | Runs |
| Shai Hope | 229 runs |
| Quinton de Kock | 157 runs |
| Rahmat Shah | 156 runs |
Top Bowling Records
| Player | Wickets |
| Dilshan Madushanka | 7 wickets |
| Mohammed Shami | Notable 4-wicket haul |
Centuries at Ekana Cricket Stadium
| Player | Score | Match |
| Rohit Sharma | 111* | vs West Indies (2018) |
ODI Centuries
| Player | Score | Team |
| Shai Hope | 109* | West Indies |
| Quinton de Kock | 109 | South Africa |
| Lizelle Lee | 132* | South Africa (Women) |
Test Century
| Player | Score | Match |
| Shamarh Brooks | 111* | West Indies vs Afghanistan |
ICC Matches at Ekana Cricket Stadium (World Cup 2023)
The Ekana Cricket Stadium was one of the venues to hold 5 matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which demonstrated slow and difficult pitch conditions.
| Date | Match | Result |
| 12 Oct 2023 | South Africa vs Australia | South Africa won by 134 runs |
| 16 Oct 2023 | Sri Lanka vs Australia | Australia won by 5 wickets |
| 21 Oct 2023 | Netherlands vs Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets |
| 29 Oct 2023 | India vs England | India won by 100 runs |
| 3 Nov 2023 | Netherlands vs Afghanistan | Afghanistan won by 7 wickets |
Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground Pitch Report Today IPL
The Ekana pitch is not suitable in case of high-scoring games. The pitch is not very fast and is usually dry making batting very difficult.
A ball is likely to slow down once pitched and batters would find it hard to execute aggressive hits. Time is extremely critical and players must run their innings with patience.
Quick bowlers can also achieve a bit of swing during the initial overs, however, towards the middle of the match, the spinners will be involved and they may dominate the middle overs. Dew may be involved in night games, and it allows chasing to be a little bit easier, yet in general the pitch will favour bowlers.
| Factor | Impact |
| Pitch Type | Slow & dry |
| Bounce | Low to medium |
| Batting Advantage | Moderate |
| Bowling Support | High |
| Dew Factor | Medium |
| Best Strategy | Bowl first |
Ekana Cricket Stadium Average Score IPL
The average score of IPL in Ekana Cricket Stadium is not high when compared to other stadiums such as Mumbai or Bengaluru. The pitch is such that it is hard to get big runs on a regular basis. Evenly matched scores of about 150 have been found to be competitive in recent matches, indicating the bowler-friendliness of the surface.
| Innings | Average Score |
| First Innings | 140–160 |
| Second Innings | 130–150 |
| Par Score | 150–165 |
| Winning Score | 160+ |
Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground T20 Records
The T20 records of Ekana Cricket Stadium show that it is balanced but biased towards the bowlers a bit. The number of high-scoring matches have been lower than other IPL venues.
| Category | Record |
| Highest Total | 190+ |
| Lowest Total | 100- |
| Average Score | 140–160 |
| Nature | Bowler-friendly |
Ekana Cricket Stadium Toss Prediction
Teams that bowl first normally favor the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground toss prediction. This is primarily because of dew and the inability to set a target on a low pitch.
| Decision | Success Rate |
| Bowl First | High |
| Bat First | Moderate |
Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground First Innings Score IPL
The Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground first innings score in the IPL shows that the teams strive to make a save total as opposed to a go-out-on-the-attack total.
| Score Range | Frequency |
| 120–140 | Moderate |
| 140–170 | High |
| 170+ | Rare |
Ekana Cricket Stadium Chasing Record
Chasing record at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground indicates that chasing teams slightly gain an advantage, particularly during night games.
| Stat | Value |
| Chasing Wins | ~55% |
| Highest Chase | 170+ |
| Success Rate | Moderate to High |
Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground Win Percentage
The Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground batting win-percentage vs bowling reveals that the first to bowl teams have a lower percentage of winning.
| Type | Win % |
| Batting First | ~45% |
| Bowling First | ~55% |
Ekana Cricket Stadium Highest IPL Score
The Ekana Cricket Stadium best score in IPL is rather less than other stadiums in the IPL, indicating that it is a bowling friendly stadium.
| Team | Score |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 190+ |
| Lowest Score | 100- |
Ekana Cricket Stadium Lowest Score IPL
Despite the favorable conditions for bowlers, good bowling performances also produce very low scores.
| Team | Score |
| Various Teams | 100- |
| Average Low Score | 110–130 |
Lucknow Super Giants – IPL Home Matches
| Date | Match | Time (IST) |
| Apr 19 | LSG vs RR | 7:30 PM |
| Apr 25 | LSG vs MI | 7:30 PM |
| May 1 | LSG vs CSK | 7:30 PM |
| May 10 | LSG vs KKR | 7:30 PM |
Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground Boundary Length
One of the main causes of the low scores in Ekana is the boundary size. Long boundaries ensure that batters are not able to hit sixes regularly.
| Side | Distance |
| Straight | 75–80 m |
| Square | 65–70 m |
Ekana Cricket Stadium Night Match Stats
The Ekana night matches prove a little more favorable to batting because of the dew.
| Factor | Value |
| Chasing Win % | High |
| Dew Impact | Moderate |
Conclusion
The Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground is one of the most unique cricket venues in India. In contrast to the normal IPL grounds where batters mostly win, Ekana is a balanced game where the bowlers usually prevail.
The long boundaries, slow pitch, and spin-friendly conditions make this ground difficult to attack. Teams should smartly play cricket and adjust strategies to it. Toss decisions, team selection, and pitch reading become crucial factors here.
With IPL expanding, Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground will be one of the most important venues where power hitting is not the most important but strategy and skill.
FAQs
A1. According to Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground pitch report today IPL, the pitch is a slow spin-friendly surface with the advantage of bowlers.
A2. The average score is around 140–160 in the first innings.
A3. It is primarily a bowling-friendly pitch, particularly in the case of spinners.
A4. Dew advantage usually means that teams would like to bowl first.
A5. The maximum is approximately 190+ that is lower than the rest of the IPL locations.
Also Read: Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium: Pitch Report, Stats, Weather, Records and Capacity
