Visakhapatnam has a rich cricketing history, most of which has been made at the city’s iconic Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium. As IPL 2025 approaches, the cricket fever is higher than ever, more so because the stadium is hosting two matches here! In the spirit of the IPL season, here are some historic cricket moments that have taken place at the stadium:
1. First International Match (2001) – India vs Zimbabwe (ODI)
The stadium hosted its first international match on April 5, 2001, an ODI between India and Zimbabwe. India won the match comfortably, marking the beginning of Vizag’s journey as a top cricketing venue.
2. MS Dhoni’s Iconic 148 (2005) – ODI vs Pakistan
One of the most famous moments in Indian cricket history happened at this ground when MS Dhoni smashed 148 runs off 123 balls against Pakistan on April 5, 2005. This inning announced Dhoni as a superstar in world cricket and is still remembered as one of his best knocks.
3. First Test Match in Vizag (2016) – India vs England
Vizag hosted its first-ever Test match from November 17-21, 2016, between India and England.
Virat Kohli played a captain’s knock, scoring 167 & 81, and Ravichandran Ashwin took 8 wickets in the match. India won by 246 runs, making it a memorable debut for the venue in Test cricket.
4. Rohit Sharma’s Twin Centuries (2019) – India vs South Africa
On October 2-6, 2019, Rohit Sharma opened a Test match for the first time and scored centuries in both innings (176 & 127) against South Africa.
Mayank Agarwal also scored his maiden Test double-century (215). India won by 203 runs, cementing Rohit’s position as a Test opener.
5. First-ever Pink Ball (Day-Night) ODI in India (2019) – India vs West Indies
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On December 18, 2019, Vizag hosted India’s first-ever pink ball ODI, played under lights.
India defeated West Indies with a massive score of 387/5, thanks to Rohit Sharma (159) and KL Rahul (102). Kuldeep Yadav took a hat-trick in this match.
6. Virat Kohli’s Fastest 10,000 ODI Runs (2018) – India vs West Indies
On October 24, 2018, Virat Kohli became the fastest player to reach 10,000 ODI runs, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record. He scored a brilliant 157 off 129 balls* in this match.
7. India’s Dominance in T20Is
India has had a strong record in T20 matches in Vizag, with big wins against teams like Australia and South Africa.
Vizag has become a lucky venue for India, hosting some of the most iconic cricketing moments in Indian history. As IPL 2025 comes up, we can’t wait for more history to be made at these grounds!
Fun fact: India has not lost a single match played in the ACA-VCDA Stadium, in which an Indian batter has scored a century.
Vizag’s ACA-VDCA Stadium has witnessed many Historic cricket moments and many more moments to be made in the future, As IPL 2025 approaches, fans are eager to experience them live.
Also read: The History of Vizag Cricket Stadium
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