Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket StadiumLucknow
Short answer: Lucknow's Ekana Stadium opened in 2017, seats about 50,000 and hosted its first international, an India vs West Indies T20I, on 6 November 2018. It is known for long straight boundaries. In our data, about two-thirds of December evenings and nearly all January evenings were dew-risk evenings, so night games in mid-winter usually favour the chasing side.
Ground facts
- City
- Lucknow
- Capacity
- About 50,000 (BCCI venue list and ICC media guide, via Wikipedia)
- Established
- 2017
- Ends
- —
- Association
- Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (home ground of the UP teams)
- First international
- T20I: India vs West Indies, 6 Nov 2018
Background
The stadium was commissioned in 2014 and built as a public-private partnership between Ekana Sportz City and the Lucknow Development Authority. It was ready for domestic cricket in 2017 and hosted the 2017-18 Duleep Trophy final. An ODI against New Zealand planned for October 2017 was moved to Kanpur because the venue was not yet complete.
- First international: T20I, India vs West Indies, 6 November 2018. India won by 71 runs, and Rohit Sharma became the first batter to score four T20I hundreds.
- That match ended a 24-year gap in international cricket in Lucknow.
- In 2018 the ground was renamed after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
- Afghanistan used it as a home ground in 2019.
- It hosted five matches of the 2023 World Cup.
Ground size
Ekana has some of the longest straight boundaries in India, according to the stadium's Wikipedia entry. Long straight boundaries reward batters who hit square or use pace, and give spinners a little more margin against batters charging down the ground. Boundary ropes are set per match, so check the broadcast graphics on the day.
What the weather data says
Lucknow is on the Gangetic plain, and its winter pattern is humid. In our five-season sample:
- October: about 58% of evenings at dew risk.
- December: about 66%.
- January: about 97%, with average 10 pm humidity of 90%.
- March: only about 7%; spring evenings are much drier.
Fantasy angle (our general view)
For a winter night game, expect captains to bowl first and the chasing side's top order to gain value. Wrist spinners usually cope with a wet ball better than finger spinners, but both suffer. In March, with little dew, the toss is less important and the pitch report matters more. Related: toss and playing XI updates.
Evening conditions by month (Oct–Mar)
| Month | 3 pm temp | 10 pm temp | 10 pm humidity | 10 pm dew-point gap | Dew-risk evenings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct | 30.3°C | 23.8°C | 80% | 3.7°C | 58% |
| Nov | 26.9°C | 18.6°C | 76% | 4.4°C | 41% |
| Dec | 22.3°C | 13.9°C | 81% | 3.4°C | 66% |
| Jan | 19.9°C | 11.5°C | 90% | 1.6°C | 97% |
| Feb | 25.2°C | 16.4°C | 70% | 5.8°C | 36% |
| Mar | 31.5°C | 22.2°C | 54% | 10.4°C | 7% |
Our calculation from hourly Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis data, October to March of five seasons (2021-22 to 2025-26). "Dew-risk evenings" = share of evenings where the 10 pm air temperature was within 4°C of the dew point. Reanalysis describes the surrounding ~25–30 km area, not the outfield, and is an indicator, not a forecast. Open-Meteo
FAQ
When did Ekana host its first international match?
On 6 November 2018: a T20I between India and the West Indies, which India won by 71 runs. It was Lucknow's first international match since a Test at the K.D. Singh Babu Stadium in January 1994.
Why was the stadium renamed?
In 2018 it was renamed after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee; it is still widely called Ekana.
Did Ekana host 2023 World Cup matches?
Yes, five matches of the 2023 Men's Cricket World Cup.