Written By: Shreya Patil

The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad, is one of India’s busiest IPL grounds. Built by the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) in 2004, it hosted its first ODI between India and South Africa in 2005. Later, the stadium was renamed after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, replacing its original name, Visakha International Cricket Stadium.

Two IPL teams have called this stadium home. The Deccan Chargers played here from 2008 to 2012 and won the IPL title in 2009. After the team was terminated in 2013, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) took over.

SRH won the IPL in 2016 under David Warner and invested Rs 5 crore for upgrades ahead of IPL 2025. The HCA also won the best ground and pitch awards in IPL 2019 and 2024.

Besides the IPL, the stadium has hosted 6 Tests, 10 ODIs, and 3 T20Is. It has also held IPL finals in 2017 and 2019, as well as matches during the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

Stadium Overview

Here is a quick reference to the key facts about Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

ParameterDetail
LocationUppal, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Established2004
Seating Capacity39,200 (extended to ~55,000 post-upgrades)
Home IPL TeamSunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Previous IPL TenantDeccan Chargers (2008–2012)
First IPL Match22 April 2008
Total IPL Matches (through IPL 2025)83
Playing EndsPavilion End, VVS Laxman (North) End
Best Ground AwardIPL 2019 and IPL 2024

Pitch Report

The pitch at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium is flat and batter-friendly through the first half of the innings. The surface does not generate much turn or dramatic seam movement. Pacers do pick up some assistance early with the new ball, but it rarely sustains across the full twenty overs.

MetricValue
Matches Played83
Won Batting First35 (42.17%)
Won Batting Second47 (56.63%)
Won After Winning Toss31 (37.35%)
Won After Losing Toss51 (61.45%)
No Result1 (1.20%)
Average First Innings Score162.95
Average Runs per Over8.34
Average Runs per Wicket27.40

Batting Records

High-scoring cricket defines the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Teams have crossed 200 runs 13 times across 83 matches. The average economy rate of 8.34 runs per over is among the higher figures across IPL grounds. Yet the pitch does not make batting effortless; those who score big here have earned their runs against quality bowling.

Top Run Scorers

David Warner leads all batters at this venue with 1,623 runs from 32 innings. His batting at Uppal went beyond just accumulation. 

David Warner leads all batters
Source – India Today

he scored at a strike rate of 160.5 and hit three IPL centuries here, the most by any batter at this ground. Shikhar Dhawan sits second with 1,477 runs from 47 innings. Dhawan’s best knock at the venue was an unbeaten 99. Heinrich Klaasen, the current SRH finisher, has also posted strong numbers in fewer appearances.

BatterTeam(s)InningsRunsBest Score
David WarnerSRH / DC321,623126
Shikhar DhawanSRH / DC / MI471,47792*
Heinrich KlaasenSRH15614104

Highest Individual Scores

Abhishek Sharma now holds the record for the highest individual score at this venue after his 141 against Punjab Kings on 12 April 2025. 

Abhishek Sharma now holds the record
Source – Cricshots

That innings surpassed David Warner’s previous record of 126 off 59 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017.

Warner’s knock came with a mix of clean drives and powerful pull shots that bowlers found no answer to. The other highest scores at the ground include Virender Sehwag’s 119 off 56, Andrew Symonds’ unbeaten 117 off 53, and Jonny Bairstow’s 114 off 56.

BatterScoreBallsAgainstYear
Abhishek Sharma14155Punjab Kings2025
David Warner12659Kolkata Knight Riders2017
Virender Sehwag11956Deccan Chargers2011
Andrew Symonds117*53Rajasthan Royals2008
Jonny Bairstow11456Royal Challengers Bangalore2019
David Warner109*54Deccan Chargers2012

Centuries At The Venue

Seven batters have scored IPL centuries at this ground. David Warner has three centuries here, the most by any batter. The sheer volume of his high scores reflects a batter who read Hyderabad conditions better than anyone else over his time with SRH. Warner’s strike rate of 160.5 at this venue adds another dimension; he did not just build innings, he accelerated through them.

Bowling Records

Bowlers face a challenge at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium because the pitch offers limited assistance across long spells. Despite that, this ground has produced some of the finest bowling in IPL history. The key is identifying the right type of bowler and the conditions that suit them.

According to second-innings data across all 83 matches, bowlers took 70 wickets with a strike rate of 20.78 and an average of 29.05. Right-arm fast-medium bowlers have been the most effective across both innings.

Most Wickets

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 48 wickets from 49 innings at this venue set a standard no other bowler here has reached. 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Source – X

He took wickets with the new ball and at the death, adapting his pace and line to the conditions throughout the match. His 5/19 ranks among the better hauls at this ground. Amit Mishra follows with 30 wickets from 27 innings, proving leg-spin can be highly effective here when bowled accurately. Rashid Khan’s 28 wickets from just 22 games give him the best wickets-per-game ratio among the top three.

BowlerStyleInningsWicketsBest Bowling
Bhuvneshwar KumarRight-arm fast-medium49485/19
Amit MishraRight-arm leg-spin27305/17
Rashid KhanRight-arm leg-spin22283/19
Dale SteynRight-arm fast25273/11
Siddarth KaulRight-arm fast-medium18213/24

Best Bowling Figures

Alzarri Joseph’s 6/12 against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 6 April 2019 is both the best bowling performance in Hyderabad’s IPL history and the best bowling figures in the entire history of the IPL. Joseph was making his IPL debut for the Mumbai Indians that night and ripped through the SRH batting lineup with pace and movement in the kind of spell that batters’ nightmares are made of. Five other bowlers have taken five-wicket hauls at this venue, including Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5/19) and Amit Mishra (5/17).

BowlerFiguresTeamAgainstYear
Alzarri Joseph6/12Mumbai IndiansSunrisers Hyderabad2019
Ankit Rajpoot5/14Punjab KingsSunrisers Hyderabad2018
James Faulkner5/16Rajasthan RoyalsSunrisers Hyderabad2013
Amit Mishra5/17Delhi DaredevilsDeccan Chargers2008
Bhuvneshwar Kumar5/19SRHKings XI Punjab2017
Jaydev Unadkat5/30Rising Pune SupergiantSunrisers Hyderabad2017

Team Records

Here are Key Team Records:

Highest Team Totals

Sunrisers Hyderabad set the all-time highest team total at this venue on 23 March 2025, posting 286/6 against Rajasthan Royals. 

Highest Team Totals
Source – ESPN Cricinfo

Ishan Kishan scored a maiden IPL century on his SRH debut that night, and Heinrich Klaasen contributed a rapid fifty in the lower order. SRH won by 44 runs. That total broke their previous record of 277/3, set against the Mumbai Indians in March 2024, a match in which Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Klaasen all scored half-centuries.

TeamScoreAgainstYear
Sunrisers Hyderabad286/6Rajasthan Royals2025
Sunrisers Hyderabad277/3Mumbai Indians2024

Lowest Team Total

Delhi Daredevils, now Delhi Capitals, hold the record for the lowest total at this ground. They fell to 80 all out against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a 2013 IPL match on 4 May 2013. SRH’s bowling attack used the home conditions effectively that day to restrict Delhi to 80 runs, a collapse that underlines how quickly a batting lineup can fold when a disciplined bowling unit finds the right areas.

Highest Successful Chase

Mumbai Indians completed the highest successful run chase at this venue, reaching 160/3 against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 12 May 2014. While scoring at this ground has risen significantly in recent years, the chase record shows it is not always a ground where massive chases are completed; the winning margin often belongs to the team that sets the total.

SRH’s Home Record At Uppal

Sunrisers Hyderabad have played 63 matches at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium since 2013. They have won 38 of those matches, giving them a home win percentage of around 61.3%. They have lost 24 and one match ended in a tie. That record makes SRH one of the more dominant home sides in IPL history at their own ground.

SRH's Home Record at Uppal
Source – IPL.com 

SRH’s success at home traces back to a few consistent factors. Their bowling unit, built around Bhuvneshwar Kumar and various spin and seam combinations, suits this pitch well. Their batting lineups have evolved significantly over the years, particularly in 2024 and 2025, when the franchise broke multiple IPL scoring records. In IPL 2024, SRH set the then-highest team total in IPL history (277/3 against Mumbai Indians) at this very venue.

Metric
Value
SRH Matches at This Venue63
SRH Wins38
SRH Losses24
Win Percentage~61.3%
IPL Title Won Here2016 (under David Warner)

Fielding Records

Shikhar Dhawan leads the catches list at this venue with 17 catches from 47 matches. His positioning in the slip cordon and outfield regularly put him in positions to take chances. Naman Ojha follows with 15 catches in 25 matches, most of which came through his wicketkeeping work. Kumar Sangakkara sits third with 13 catches from 16 matches — an impressive rate for the number of games he played here. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Manish Pandey each feature in the top five as well, with 13 and 12 catches respectively.

Match Statistics Summary

Here is a complete summary of Matches:

CategoryStatistic / DetailNotes
Total Matches83Matches played through the 2025 season.
Average Economy8.34 RPOConfirms a batting-friendly surface with high scores.
150+ Scores31The number of times a team has reached 150+ in an innings.
200+ Scores14Due to the 2025 high-scoring surge. There are 14 200+ Scores
Highest Team Total286/6New Record: SRH vs RR (March 23, 2025).
Highest Run Chase247/2New Record: SRH chased 246 vs PBKS (April 12, 2025).

Historic IPL Moments At This Venue

The ground has produced several defining moments in IPL history. Alzarri Joseph’s 6/12 in 2019, already the best bowling figures in IPL history, stands as the single most dominant individual bowling display the tournament has seen. It came in his very first IPL match, a debut that few players have matched before or since.

SRH’s 286/6 against Rajasthan Royals in March 2025 is another landmark. It surpassed their own 277/3 from 2024 at this venue, underscoring how dramatically scoring has escalated in recent seasons. The stadium has moved from hosting first innings totals averaging 163 to witnessing outings that regularly breach 200.

David Warner’s 126 off 59 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017 remains one of the finest individual innings played here. That knock came during a season when Warner helped drive SRH to the knockout stages, underlining why he remains the ground’s all-time leading scorer.

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Conclusion: IPL Statistics at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has given IPL cricket 83 matches’ worth of records, moments, and patterns that any serious follower of the game needs to understand. The key takeaway from the data is simple: batting second at Uppal works. Teams that chase have won 57% of the time. Teams that bat first lose more often than they win. The toss does not consistently help those who win it 61.45% of toss losers have gone on to win their matches here.

David Warner and Bhuvneshwar Kumar define the individual records at this ground. Warner’s 1,623 runs and three centuries will take a very long batter’s career to surpass. Kumar’s 48 wickets show a bowler who mastered the specific conditions at Uppal better than anyone else. Alzarri Joseph delivered the venue’s most memorable bowling performance with 6/12 in 2019, a record that still stands in IPL history.

SRH’s 61.3% home win rate makes this ground a genuine home advantage for the franchise. With scoring limits reset in 2024 and 2025 and the HCA collecting best-pitch awards, the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium will continue to sit at the heart of IPL cricket for years to come.

About the Author

Shreya Patil is a Mumbai-based documentary photographer turned cricket storyteller. Having covered local leagues through her lens, she now writes feature pieces at WPLeague, capturing the human side of women’s cricket beyond the boundary ropes.

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