The Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground occupies a distinctive place in Indian cricket as part of the larger Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Vihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium complex in Lucknow. With ever-growing appeal among players and fans, it attracts attention not just for international fixtures, but also for top-tier league games.
This article explores 2025 data and beyond for the stadium, focusing on its surface behaviour, memorable charged fixtures, and how it shapes strategy across formats.
Venue Overview:
The venue often cited as Ekana Stadium is officially the larger Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. The main stadium boasts seating for about 50,000 fans.
The boundaries at the main ground are large; one report notes that the longer square boundaries are at 76m, shorter at 69m, and straight boundaries reaching 81m.
Ekana Cricket Stadium B ground Pitch report:
When looking at the Ekana Cricket Stadium B ground pitch report, the pitch here generally helps the bowlers even in T20 matches. The surface is a mixed-soil pitch (red+black soil), which offers good batting conditions. One reputable source has stated that in the IPL 2025, the average scoring rate at the venue read 9.55 runs per over. Another analysis flags that a scoring rate between 180-190 in T20 matches may be competitive.
From this, observers might guess that the pitch here has been batting-friendly of late. However, it wasn’t the case in the initial period of the stadium. The pitches were slow, and run scoring turned out to be difficult for the batters. The spinners used to get immense help from the wicket, and the pacers were using slower balls to get help out of the wicket. The team even defended below-par targets on this wicket.
Format Specific Behaviour:
T20 (including IPL/leagues): There has been a strong shift to higher scoring in the recent matches. The earlier years showed lower scores, but in 2024/25, the average first innings score in T20s rose to almost 183 at the venue.
Day/Night and Dew factors: In night games, analysts at the stadium have reported that the team winning the toss often opts to bowl first due to expected dew favouring chasing.
First-class/longer formats: There have been few first-class matches in the stadium, but we don’t have enough sample size to judge the wicket.
Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground IPL records
Talking about the Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground IPL records, there have been a total of 22 matches played so far at this ground. Teams batting first have won nine matches and that’s around 40.91%, while teams batting second have won 12 matches, and that’s 54.55%. Kolkata Knight Riders hold the highest team total at this ground with 235/6 against the home team Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2024, while the home team holds the lowest team total at this ground with 108 runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL 2023 game.
Rishabh Pant has the highest individual score at this ground with 118 not out against RCB in IPL 2025, while Mark Wood has the best bowling figures with 5/14 against Delhi Capitals in 2023. KL Rahul has scored the most amount of runs at this ground in the IPL with 540 runs in his tally, while Ravi Bishnoi has scalped the most wickets in the IPL so far at this ground with 19 in his tally.
Ekana Cricket Stadium B matches
Coming to Ekana Cricket Stadium B matches, for a period in 2019, the stadium was also the home ground for the Afghanistan men’s team. It hosted five matches during the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup. For International T20 matches, the average first innings score is around 160, and teams batting first have had a higher winning percentage. Spinners generally have a higher impact on the slower surface, while boundary hitting is tougher due to the bigger outfield.
For One Day Internationals, the stadium has seen varied results, with teams successfully defending both high and low totals. There have been 9 ODIs played so far at the ground, and the average first innings score is 237. South Africa have the highest team total on this ground (311/7). Proteas batter Quinton de Kock holds the record of the highest individual score at this ground so far with 109 runs.
Mohammed Shami registered the best bowling figures at this ground with 4/22 against England in a World Cup 2023 game. As per reports, pacers have picked up 53.7% of wickets, while Spinners have picked up 44.4% of the wickets. Teams batting first have approximately won 44.4% of matches, while chasing teams have won 55.6% of games.
Coming to T20Is, the average first innings score has been 160 in six T20Is played so far at this ground. India hold the record of the highest team total at this ground in T20Is with 199/2. Rohit Sharma holds the record of the highest individual score in the format at this ground with 111 not out. Meanwhile, Karim Janat registered figures of 5/11, which turned out to be the best bowling figures in T20Is at this ground.
Pacers have approximately picked up 72.9% of wickets, while spinners have picked up 27.1% of wickets. Teams batting first have won approximately 83.3% of T20Is at this ground, while chasing teams have won 16.7% of matches.
Main Facts:
- It is the fifth-largest international cricket stadium in India and was built under a private-public partnership.
- The designs include a distinctive wave-patterned roof, arches echoing Awadhi heritage, and focus on Optimal spectator experience, with pillar-free stands offering clear sightlines.
- The venue stands out for its exceptionally long straight boundaries – the longest of any cricket stadium in India – which noticeably shape how teams approach batting and bowling.
- The surface often plays slowly and unevenly in pace, giving spinners a real advantage and making big T20 totals harder to produce.
- It serves as the home base for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and has also functioned as the adopted home ground for the Afghanistan men’s cricket team.
- The ground includes modern support systems, highlighted by a herringbone drainage setup that clears water quickly and helps matches resume soon after rainfall.
- Beyond cricket duties, the stadium has been used for major public gatherings, including the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
Will the Ekana Cricket Stadium B ground host T20 World Cup 2026 matches?
As of November 2025, the Ekana Cricket Stadium B ground does not feature on the list of chosen venues for the T20 World Cup in 2026. The ICC has confirmed Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai as India’s hosts for the tournament, leaving Lucknow outside the spotlight for this edition.
Even so, the stadium’s next major stretch of action will arrive with the 2026 Indian Premier League, where the LSG will return to their home turf. Although the official IPL schedule is yet to be released, the ground will almost certainly stage multiple matches between March and May 2026.
The pitch, consistently known for its slow, low bounce and grip for spin, will remain a decisive element in how teams shape their plans. Fans can look forward to contests where bowlers dictate rhythm, batsmen must build patiently, and tactical decision-making often becomes the true difference-makers.
Do you enjoy watching the competition between bat and ball at this cricket ground, or do you like grounds which produce high scores? Of course, the Ekana Cricket Stadium B ground is expected to produce higher scores consistently in the upcoming matches, but it’s definitely one of the modern cricket stadiums in the country.
