Former international venue · Maharashtra

VCA Ground, Nagpur

Civil Lines, Nagpur, Maharashtra. Stadium guide with history, famous matches and records.

Capacity 40,000
Opened 1929
9 Tests
14 ODIs

Photo: The original uploader was Arun.arumugam at English Wikipedia ., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

VCA Ground: key facts

VCA Ground is the Vidarbha Cricket Association's former international venue in Civil Lines, Nagpur. It hosted nine Tests, 14 men's ODIs and one women's ODI before the Jamtha stadium took over international cricket; the Civil Lines ground remains associated with coaching and first-class cricket.

Location: Civil Lines, Nagpur, Maharashtra
Capacity: 40,000Published venue capacity; the ground is no longer an international venue.
Opened: 1929
First international: 3 October 1969India v New Zealand, 2nd Test
Owned or run by: Vidarbha Cricket Association
Home teams: Vidarbha
Ends: Jaika End and Church End
Floodlights: No
Former names: Central Provinces Gymkhana Ground
Status: Former international venue

International matches hosted

9Tests
14ODIs
1Women's ODIs

Counts up to 6 June 2026; first international 3 October 1969, last 14 October 2007.

VCA Ground pitch report

The wicket was relaid in 1999 with a reported 30-inch double-brick base, deeper than the usual 15-inch layer. ESPNcricinfo described the relaid surface as capable of extra pace and bounce, with movement for genuine fast bowlers and medium-pacers. Several first-class matches in 2004-05 finished within three days.

The 1999 relaying used a deep double-brick foundation, according to ESPNcricinfo.
The surface was reported to offer pace, bounce and movement rather than being uniformly docile.

History of VCA Ground

The ground's first recorded match is dated to 1929, while its first Test came on 3 October 1969 when India met New Zealand in Nagpur. The venue later became one of India's established international grounds and was known for its Jaika and Church Ends. There were nine Tests at the Civil Lines ground between 1969-70 and 2005-06.

VCA Ground hosted its first men's ODI on 23 January 1985, India against England, and its last on 14 October 2007, Australia against India. It also staged the only women's ODI listed for the ground, Australia against England on 18 December 1997. A 1995 India-New Zealand ODI was marred when an East Stand wall collapsed, killing nine people and injuring 70.

The venue stopped hosting international cricket after the VCA built its Jamtha stadium outside the city. VCA says the Civil Lines stadium is now dedicated to cricket coaching and first-class matches, while all international games are played at Jamtha. ESPN reported that the old ground could not accommodate the floodlights needed for top-level one-day internationals; the Civil Lines ground itself is listed without floodlights.

Milestones

1929
The ground's first recorded match is dated to 1929.
1969
India and New Zealand played the ground's first Test from 3 October.
1985
The ground hosted its first men's ODI, India v England, on 23 January.
1995
An East Stand wall collapsed during an India-New Zealand ODI, causing nine deaths and 70 injuries.
2007
Australia v India on 14 October was the ground's last men's ODI.
2008
The new VCA Stadium at Jamtha succeeded the Civil Lines ground as Nagpur's international venue.

Famous matches at VCA Ground

31 October 1987
India v New Zealand, 1987 World Cup
Sunil Gavaskar made his only one-day World Cup century as India won the final league match against New Zealand.
26 October 2004
India v Australia, 3rd Test
Australia won by 342 runs in the Test recorded by the VCA list for the 2004-05 season.
26 November 1995
India v New Zealand, 5th ODI
New Zealand won by 99 runs, but the match is chiefly remembered for the East Stand wall collapse and the resulting loss of life.

VCA Ground records

Researched ground records, checked against at least one published scorecard source.

Ground records at VCA Ground
Record	Figure	Match
Highest Test total	609/6 dec	India v Zimbabwe, 2000-01
Highest individual Test score	232*	Andy Flower, Zimbabwe v India, 2000-01
First Cricket World Cup hat-trick at the ground	Chetan Sharma	India v New Zealand, 1987 World Cup

How to reach VCA Ground

Nearest airport: Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur; the ground is in the city's Civil Lines area.
By train: Nagpur railway station; use local road transport for the Civil Lines venue.
By road: Reach Civil Lines via Rabindranath Tagore Marg and the central Nagpur road network; confirm access locally because the ground is primarily used for coaching and first-class cricket.
Address: Vidarbha Cricket Association, Civil Lines, Nagpur, Maharashtra 440001

VCA Ground: questions and answers

When was VCA Ground built?

The ground's first recorded match is dated to 1929. Its first Test was played on 3 October 1969.

Why does VCA Ground no longer host international cricket?

The VCA built the Jamtha stadium as the city's international venue. The old Civil Lines ground could not accommodate the floodlights required for top-level one-day internationals and is now used for coaching and first-class cricket.

What is VCA Ground's capacity?

The published capacity is 40,000. It is a historical venue figure rather than a current international-event capacity.

Which team uses VCA Ground?

Vidarbha is the principal home team. The VCA says the Civil Lines ground is used for coaching and first-class matches, with international cricket now at Jamtha.

More cricket stadiums in Maharashtra

Every ground in India that has hosted an international, with its history, capacity and pitch. See all cricket stadiums in India.

Sources for this stadium guide