Author name: Kanak Sharma

Something about Arun Jaitley Stadium makes it different from every other cricketing ground in India. That is not the biggest ground – Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad wears that crown with ease. It is not the most visually arresting; that title belongs to the Dhauladhar peaks looming behind Dharamshala’s HPCA Stadium. What Arun Jaitley Stadium does have is history, the breadth, depth, and multi-generational cricketing history dating to 1883 that makes it one of the oldest active international cricket grounds in the world.  The heart of cricket in Delhi, formerly the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground before being renamed in 2019 after one-time finance minister and BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley, is home to the IPL franchise Delhi Capitals, where Anil Kumble took all ten wickets in an innings, where Virender Sehwag played many explosive knocks, and with a century and a half of its presence at every match. A complete 2026 guide to Arun Jaitley Stadium, including history, pitch report, records in all formats, IPL 2026 stats, and toss trends, all you need to know. Arun Jaitley Stadium – Quick Overview Attribute Details Full Name Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium Former Name Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium Named After Arun Jaitley (Former Union Finance Minister) Location Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi, India Established 1883 Seating Capacity 41,820 Managed By Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) Home Team (IPL) Delhi Capitals Bowling Ends Pavilion End, Stadium End Pitch Type Dry, spin-friendly; batting-friendly early Floodlights Yes Formats Hosted Test, ODI, T20I, IPL, First-Class Nearest Metro Delhi Gate Metro Station 140 Years Of History On The Ground Officially opened in 1883, the Arun Jaitley Stadium is located on the banks of the Yamuna, giving it one of the oldest grounds still used regularly for first-class and international matches on Earth. The venue was first developed by the Delhi & District Cricket Association and hosted its inaugural Test in 1948-49, when India played its inaugural Test season as an independent nation against the touring West Indies. That Test is still woven into the fabric of what this ground is all about. On September 7, 2019, it was christened in a ceremony that encapsulated the human bond between its most devoted caretaker and the site itself. Jaitley was president of the DDCA for many years and oversaw the modernisation of the infrastructure at the stadium, including floodlights that made day-night cricket at the ground possible. The tribute in name not only seemed fair but was also warmly welcomed in the cricketing community of Delhi. The Arun Jaitley Stadium, which was renovated with an eye to the 2023 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, has seen significant improvements – better drainage, new stands, upgraded media facilities, and revamped pitch preparation areas – making it one of the smarter updated venues on the Indian cricket circuit, given its age. Also Read: Wankhede Stadium | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Arun Jaitley Stadium Pitch Report 2026 This surface is one of the most tactically interesting pitches in Indian cricket. It isn’t uniformly the same throughout an entire match; it changes character as a game progresses, which is exactly why it can be so difficult to write strategies for. The surface is indeed good for batting in the initial hours of any format. The bounce is real, the pace moderate, and when batters get in, it feels as though a range of shots are on offer. The surface, however, dries out and deteriorates, especially after the second innings in T20s and from Day 3 in Tests. The dry air of Delhi hastens the wearing away of even a pitch, and once the surface begins to turn, it becomes particularly gratifying for finger spinners. Pitch Factor Behaviour Batting (Early) Good carry, true bounce, free-scoring Batting (Late) Slower, inconsistent bounce, difficult to attack Pace Bowling Moderate assistance early in innings Spin Bowling Progressive deterioration aids off-spin, left-arm spin Bounce Low to medium throughout Dew Impact Moderate in evening sessions; benefits chasing team Avg First Innings T20 Score 170 – 185 Avg Second Innings T20 Score 155 – 170 Format-Wise Pitch Behaviour Format Pitch Nature Who Benefits Test Slow, progressive turn from Day 3 Spinners strongly ODI Balanced; pace early, spin later Batters then Spinners T20I / IPL Batting-friendly initially, spin-dominated later First innings batters All-Format Record Listings It actually has a hugely impressive statistical record across 140-plus years of cricket at this iconic venue. It has been a venue of some of the iconic individual and team performances in Indian cricket, from miserable bowling displays to fireworks with the bat. All-Format Records Summary Format Matches Played Highest Team Total Lowest Team Total Avg Score Tests 35+ 644/8d – West Indies vs India 75 350 ODIs 30+ 330+ 99 260 T20Is 10+ 212 120 170 IPL 85+ 278/3 – Sunrisers Hyderabad 66 175 IPL Records at Arun Jaitley Stadium (2026) Having hosted more than 85 IPL Matches since the tournament started in 2008, it will be the permanent home ground of Delhi Capitals. It is one of the statistically richest IPL venues outside Mumbai and Bengaluru. IPL Record Detail Highest Team Total 278/3 – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders (May 25, 2025) Lowest Team Total 66 – Delhi Capitals vs SRH, 2018 Highest Individual Score 128 – David Warner (DC) vs PBKS, 2020 Best Bowling Figures 5/18 – Avesh Khan (DC) vs MI, 2021 Highest Successful Chase 214/6 – Delhi Capitals vs RR, 2023 Most IPL Runs Rishabh Pant – 1,100+ runs Most IPL Wickets Amit Mishra – 67+ wickets Average First Innings Score 175 Teams Batting First Win % 58% Teams Chasing Win % 42% This is one of the most noticeable batting-first advantage on the entire IPL circuit. The numbers suggest that the 58% success rate of teams putting 220 or more on the board is significant enough for captains constantly to consider this aspect when pondering a toss, and all the more so in night games where good pitches fall away as day turns to night. IPL Top Run-Scorers at Arun Jaitley