The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium is an international cricket facility located on the outskirts of Pune city, beside the Pune to Mumbai expressway. As the venue gears up to host several prestigious World Cup 2023 matches, we look at all the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium records ahead of this tournament, breaking down the most runs scored, most wickets, and other important statistics.
Built in 2012, the stadium has a capacity to house over 35,000 spectators. It is owned and operated by the Maharashtra Cricket Association and is the home ground of the Maharashtra cricket team and Maharashtra women's cricket team.
The stadium has been designed like a “deep bowl” by a British architect named Michael Hopkins, with seating arrangements designed to offer an unobstructed view to the fans from all locations. The most important feature of this stadium is its rainwater drainage system. With the MCA opting for a sand-based outfield developed departmentally with technical assistance from STRI Limited, UK.
Read also: How to get Pune World Cup match tickets in 2023
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Most recent match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium
Before we embark on unearthing some fascinating Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium records, let’s find out what happened the last time two teams took on each other at this venue.
The last match that was played here was a T20I match between India and Sri Lanka in January 2023. Sri Lanka made a strong start to their innings as their openers put on a robust 80-run stand for the first wicket to place Sri Lanka in a commanding position. The Indian bowlers struck back and chipped in with a few wickets to stem the flow of runs. However, Dashun Shanaka played a breathtaking cameo of 56 (22) to power his side over the 200-run mark.
On the contrary, India made a poor start with the bat and were reduced to 57-5 inside the first 10 overs. It was down to Suryakumar Yadav and Azar Patel who scored 51 (36) and 65 (31) to give India a fighting chance. However, some relentless bowling from the Lankan bowlers helped Sri Lanka restrict India to 190 in the end.
#SLvIND | 2nd T20I –
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) January 5, 2023
Sri Lanka set a target of 207 runs for India at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune.
Brief Score:
SL 206/6 (20)#INDvSL pic.twitter.com/jDNrKI2qEi
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium records
This venue has seen some scintillating records being registered across all three formats. The top Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium records are as follows:
Here’s a detailed look at some of the specific Maharashtra Cricket Association records, based on T20, ODI, and Test performances.
ODI records at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium
Some memorable ODI games have been played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium most notably the game between India and England in 2017 which turned out to be a high-scoring thriller. Here’s a brief run-down of all the most important ODI records of the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium:
| Total matches | 7 |
| Matches won batting first | 4 |
| Matches won bowling first | 3 |
| Average 1st Inns scores | 307 |
| Average 2nd Inns scores | 281 |
| Highest total recorded | 356/7 (48.1 Ov) by IND vs ENG |
| Lowest total recorded | 232/10 (49.4 Ov) by IND vs AUS |
| Highest score chased | 356/7 (48.1 Ov) by IND vs ENG |
| Lowest score defended | 283/9 (50 Ov) by WI vs IND |
With 283 runs being the lowest score being defended at this venue, one can imagine how effortless batting can be at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.
T20I records at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium
The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium has not hosted a great deal of T20I matches compared to the other venues in India. However, the games that have been played here have not been short of entertainment. Here’s a quick rundown of all the most important Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium records in T20Is:
| Total matches | 4 |
| Matches won batting first | 2 |
| Matches won bowling first | 2 |
| Average 1st innings score | 166 |
| Average 2nd innings score | 144 |
| Highest total recorded | 206/6 (20 Ov) by SL vs IND |
| Lowest total recorded | 101/10 (18.5 Ov) by IND vs SL |
| Highest score chased | 158/5 (17.5 Ov) by IND vs ENG |
| Lowest score defended | 206/6 (20 Ov) by SL vs IND |
Teams batting and bowling first have had an equal amount of success. By looking at the above-mentioned figures, run-scoring in the second innings has not been so challenging.
Test match records at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium
The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium has hosted only two test matches so far. India has been involved in both matches, one against South Africa and another one against Australia. Here’s a rundown of all the most important Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium test records:
| Total matches | 2 |
| Matches won batting first | 2 |
| Matches won bowling first | 0 |
| Average 1st innings score | 430 |
| Average 2nd innings score | 190 |
| Average 3rd innings score | 237 |
| Average 4th innings score | 107 |
| Highest total recorded | 601/5 (156.3 Ov) by IND vs RSA |
| Lowest total recorded | 105/10 (40.1 Ov) by IND vs AUS |
With an average fourth-inning score of just 107, one can safely assume that the pitch becomes a minefield as Tests progress into their final days.
Understanding the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium
With these Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium records in mind, let's get a deeper understanding of the pitch and the ground conditions that are in play.
Pitch and ground conditions
In the limited-overs fixtures, the track at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium has a tendency to be an excellent batting wicket. A freshly prepared pitch may have an even bounce on offer which makes it easy for the batters to judge the ball and play their shots.
However, the pacers might as well bring the good bounce into use and pick some wickets upfront. The venue being an open stadium, has a fair amount of breeze going on here mostly and hence it might play an important role for the pacers.
Unlike other venues in the state of Maharashtra, the pitch at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium is made up of black soil. This, in turn, plays an important role when spinners take center stage during the longer format of the game.
Typical weather conditions
Unlike its counterpart Mumbai, the average weather in the city of Pune is generally pleasant throughout the year and records a moderate amount of humidity. However, the months of May and June are the hottest months in a calendar year as strong heatwaves are predicted during this time.
The arrival of monsoon season starts from July onwards which brings some respite. By the end of the year, the weather can get chilly and temperatures may fall below 15 C on a few occasions.
Pune’s wait for the One Day International (ODI) cricket world cup matches is finally over after almost 27 long years as the world cup matches schedule released on Tuesday also had a mention of Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) stadium of Gahunje where five matches will… pic.twitter.com/Jxo8iT5Td7
— Pune Mirror (@ThePuneMirror) June 27, 2023
Ground dimensions
The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium is not a huge ground in terms of the boundary size. The straighter boundary is the only section on the field that is long. Here’s a look at the average dimensions that are subject to change:
The straight and front square boundaries are around 74m, whereas the square on the off and leg-side boundaries are around 65m. The behind of square boundaries are around 58m on both sides. Such short boundaries contribute to some of the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium records seen above.
Sir Michael Hopkins the internationally renowned architect passed away yesterday. Not many may be aware that his practice had designed the beautiful cricket stadium of the Maharashtra Cricket Association in Pune. pic.twitter.com/vbF7ot6I9F
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 20, 2023
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium and the 2023 ODI World Cup
The stage is set for the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium to host five upcoming 2023 World Cup matches, from 19th October to 11th November. The inaugural game at this venue will be played between India and Bangladesh, while we will also see the likes of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, South Africa, England, Netherlands, and Australia in action at this venue.
It will be the first time in 27 years that the arena will host the World Cup, so there’s a good chance we’ll see some Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium records fall. The venue was in contention to host the 2011 World Cup games but was not able to do that due to construction delays, meaning that the last time this stadium hosted a World Cup match was in 1996 World Cup edition between Kenya and West Indies.
