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The Brabourne Stadium is an international
cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
stadium in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
in Western India, built in the British Bombay era. It is the home ground of the Mumbai men's and women's cricket teams. It can accommodate 50,000 people for sports matches. The ground is owned by the
Cricket Club of India Cricket Club of India (CCI) is a cricket club located on Dinsha Wacha Road, in Churchgate of Mumbai, India. It was conceived as India's counterpart to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). It is considered one of the most prestigious clubs in the na ...
(CCI). The North Stand of the Brabourne had housed the
Board of Control for Cricket in India The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the principal national governing body of the sport of cricket in India. Its headquarters are situated at the Cricket Centre in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. BCCI is the wealthiest governing body ...
(BCCI) headquarters and the
1983 Cricket World Cup The 1983 Cricket World Cup (officially the Prudential Cup '83) was the third edition of the Cricket World Cup tournament. It was held from 9 to 25 June 1983 in England and Wales and was won by India India, officially the Republic o ...
trophy until 2006, when both were moved to the newly built ''Cricket Centre'' at the nearby Wankhede Stadium. The Brabourne Stadium hosted
Test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film) ...
matches from 1948 to 1972 and it was the venue for
Bombay Pentangular The Bombay Tournament was an annual cricket competition held in British India between 1892 and 1946. Until 1936, matches were played on either the Bombay Gymkhana Ground, Gymkhana Ground in Bombay or the Deccan Gymkhana Ground in Poona, and then ...
matches from 1937 until 1946. After disputes over ticketing arrangements with the CCI, the Bombay Cricket Association (BCA) built the larger Wankhede Stadium exactly 700 metres north of Brabourne Stadium. After the Wankhede Stadium was built, Brabourne was no longer used for Tests, although visiting teams played a few first-class matches at the ground. Apart from cricket, the ground has also played host to tennis and association football matches as well as music shows and concerts. In the 21st century, international cricket has returned again to the Brabourne; it played host to the ICC Champions Trophy in
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
and was the venue for the first
Twenty20 International Twenty20 International (T20I) is a form of Twenty20 cricket, in which each team plays a single innings with a maximum of twenty overs. The matches are played between international teams recognized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). ...
played in India in 2007. Brabourne hosted a Test match in December 2009 after 36 years, thus creating a record for the longest time gap between two Tests at the same ground. The ground was home to the
Mumbai Indians The Mumbai Indians are a professional Twenty20, Twenty20 cricket team based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Indians were founded in 2008 and are owned by India's largest Conglomerate (company), co ...
. The opening, Super Six and
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
matches of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2013 were held here. At its AGM in September 2013, the BCCI unanimously decided to allot international matches as per its rotation policy thereby reviving the ground as a regular international venue. BCCI also used this stadium on 29 May 2014 for the IPL playoff match between the Mumbai Indians and the
Chennai Super Kings The Chennai Super Kings, also known as CSK, are a professional Twenty20 cricket team based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The team was one of the eight debut franchises when the league was establ ...
. In the 2015 IPL season, the venue was the secondary home ground of the Rajasthan Royals.


Founding

The CCI was incorporated as a company on 8 November 1933, during the MCC's 1933–34 tour of India, with its registered office in New Delhi. R. E. Grant Govan, the President of the
BCCI The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the principal national governing body of the sport of cricket in India. Its headquarters are situated at the Cricket Centre in Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. BCCI is the wealthiest governing body ...
, became the first President of the club. Anthony de Mello, the Secretary of the BCCI from its inception in 1928 until 1937, also served as the secretary of CCI from 1933 to 1937. Sir Nowroji Saklatwala was the first Chairman of club, who served till his death in 1938, who also donated a large sum for construction of pavilion of the stadium. Though the CCI was originally based in New Delhi, Bombay (present-day Mumbai) was chosen as the location of its new ground as Bombay was considered the home of cricket in India. Brabourne Stadium was built on 90,000 square yards of reclaimed land along Marine Drive near Churchgate railway station in South Bombay and was India's first permanent sporting venue. The negotiations for the land for the new cricket ground took place between de Mello and the then Bombay governor Lord Brabourne. De Mello used the name of Antonio Piedade da Cruz, an artist from Goa who was painting Lord Brabourne at the time, to obtain a meeting. The popular story goes that before returning at the end of the meeting, de Mello asked Lord Brabourne : 'Your excellency, which would you prefer to accept from sportsmen, money for your Government, or immortality for yourself?'. Brabourne chose immortality and the CCI was allotted 90,000 square yards at a price of 13.50 per square yard from land reclaimed in the Backbay reclamation scheme. Messrs. Gregson, Batley and King were appointed the architects of the facility and Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. were awarded the contract for construction. The intention of the ground design was such that it be the
Lord's Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket List of Test cricket grounds, venue in St John's Wood, Westminster. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex C ...
of India. The foundation stone was laid by Lord Brabourne on 22 May 1936. The ground was intended to provide covered accommodation for 35,000 spectators and contain pavilions, tennis courts, and a swimming pool. Frank Tarrant was the first groundsman. The first match was played on the incomplete ground in October 1937 between the CCI and the Spencer Cup XI. The ground was opened on 7 December 1937 by Roger Lumley, then Governor of Bombay, Lord Brabourne now being the Governor of Bengal. The ground was named after Brabourne at the suggestion of the Maharaja of Patiala. On the same day, the CCI XI met the visiting Lord Tennyson's XI in the inaugural first-class match on the ground. The estimated cost of construction was 1.8 million but the actual costs exceeded this by over a third. It took the efforts of Abubhai Jasdenwala, who had succeeded de Mello as the secretary in 1937, and Sir Nowroji Saklatwala, then Chairman of the
Tata Group The Tata Group () is an Indian multinational conglomerate group of companies headquartered in Mumbai. Established in 1868, it is India's largest business conglomerate, with products and services in over 160 countries, and operations in 100 c ...
, among others, for the CCI to cover the costs. The Maharaja of Idar paid for the Governor's pavilion, and the Maharaja of Patiala paid for the pavilion that is his namesake. The remaining deficits were paid off from the sale of debentures and from the income from the
Bombay Pentangular The Bombay Tournament was an annual cricket competition held in British India between 1892 and 1946. Until 1936, matches were played on either the Bombay Gymkhana Ground, Gymkhana Ground in Bombay or the Deccan Gymkhana Ground in Poona, and then ...
matches.


Architecture

The Brabourne has been identified as a Heritage Grade IIB structure. The stadium has a pavilion and three public stands, namely the West Stand, North Stand and East Stand. The three public stands face the clubhouse from three different sides of the ground and are sheltered by cavernous, overhanging roofs. The pavilion can be divided into the clubhouse in the centre with the Governor's Pavilion and the Maharaja of Patiala Pavilion on either side and is a three-story
art deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
nautical structure with rounded
pediments Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In ancient ...
, flagpoles and port-hole windows. The pavilion boasts of dark wood wall panelling and decorative marble floors. The walls of the pavilion are adorned with portraits of past and present cricketers and photographs of famous cricket matches. The Brabourne Stadium has drawn praise from various quarters. Australian cricketer
Keith Miller Keith Ross Miller (28 November 1919 – 11 October 2004) was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. His ability, irreverent m ...
called the ground "the most complete ground in the world", West Indian legend Frank Worrell stated that the Brabourne was the only ground in the world where he could be in his dressing gown until he had to pad up, hence he loved playing at the venue. According to Worrell's compatriot,
Brian Lara Brian Charles Lara, (born 2 May 1969) is a Trinidadian former international cricketer, widely renowned as one of the greatest Batting (cricket), batsmen of all time. He holds several cricketing records, including the record for the highest in ...
, "It is one of the most beautiful venues across the world. Perfect to host a good cricket match." Former Indian captain
Ajit Wadekar Ajit Laxman Wadekar (; 1 April 1941 – 15 August 2018) was an Indian international cricketer who played for the Indian national team between 1966 and 1974. Described as an "aggressive batsman", Wadekar made his first-class debut in 1958, ...
commented on the eve of the India-Sri Lanka test in 2009, "It is the ultimate dream for any cricketer to play at Lord's; by the same token, every Indian cricketer would like to play at the CCI. It has a lovely atmosphere and that makes you feel different. You also play in front of a knowledgeable crowd." Former Indian captain M. S. Dhoni stated, "... Of course, it is special to play at CCI. ... It has a nice atmosphere." Noted Journalist and Chairman of the
Mid-Day ''Mid-Day'' (stylised as mid-day) is a morning daily Indian compact newspaper. Editions in various languages including Gujarati and English have been published out of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune so far. In 2011, the Delhi and Bangalore ...
group, Khalid A. H. Ansari wrote in his newspaper, "Having witnessed cricket the world over, I can confidently say that cricket at the alluring Brabourne Stadium is an experience without parallel."


Cricket matches


First match and Pentangular

The first first-class match to be played at the ground was between
Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (; 6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of ...
's XI and a CCI XI in 1937. With the completion of the ground in 1937, the
Bombay Pentangular The Bombay Tournament was an annual cricket competition held in British India between 1892 and 1946. Until 1936, matches were played on either the Bombay Gymkhana Ground, Gymkhana Ground in Bombay or the Deccan Gymkhana Ground in Poona, and then ...
tournament was moved to the Brabourne from the
Bombay Gymkhana The Bombay Gymkhana, established in 1875, is a premier private members' club in the city of Mumbai, India. It is located at the triangular end of Azad Maidan in the Fort area of South Mumbai and is in close proximity of Chhatrapati Shivaji ...
. It was in this year that the Rest entered the competition as the fifth team; Hindus, however, withdrew their team after a dispute over the seating allocation. The stadium was packed to capacity during all pentangular matches. The battle between
Vijay Merchant Vijay Singh Madhavji Merchant , (born Vijay Madhavji Thackersey; 12 October 1911 – 27 October 1987) was an Indian cricketer. A right-hand batsman and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, Merchant played first-class cricket for Bombay c ...
and Vijay Hazare in 1943–44 saw the record for the highest individual score being bettered three times in the first week of December, ending with Hazare's 309 run contribution to Rest's total of 387 all out in the final. In the Ranji match against
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
that began on the last day of the year, Merchant improved upon it with an innings of 359 not out which still stands as the highest score made on the ground. In the 1944–45 final of the Pentangular, Muslims chased 298 to defeat the Hindus by one wicket. The Pentangular tournament was discontinued after the 1946–47 season.


Test cricket

Brabourne hosted 17 Test matches between 1948 and 1973, starting with two matches against the
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
in India's first home series after the
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in 1948–49. The first test to produce a result at the Brabourne was the fourth it hosted, when India beat
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
in 1952. India won their first ever test series after taking a 2–1 lead on the basis of this victory. Vijay Hazare scored a hundred in each of his four test match appearances at the ground, the most by any player. Indian batsman Abbas Ali Baig became the first Indian cricketer to be kissed on a cricket field during the third Test between India and Australia at the Brabourne in 1960. When Baig reached the fifty run mark, a young woman ran onto the ground from the North Stand and kissed him on his cheek in full view of a packed crowd. During a test match in 1964, several members of the visiting
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
team faced fitness issues, forcing England to request India to provide a substitute fielder. On successive days, A. G. Kripal Singh and Hanumant Singh took the field as substitutes for
Micky Stewart Michael James Stewart (born 16 September 1932) is an English former cricketer, coach and administrator. A right-handed batsman, Stewart's international career was hampered by illness that curtailed his first overseas tour – serving as vice-c ...
. The one serious instance of crowd trouble at the ground happened in the final session of the fourth day of the Test match between India and Australia in 1969. With India in desperate trouble in the second innings, Ajit Wadekar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan were involved in a partnership of 25 for the eighth wicket when the latter was declared out caught behind off the bowling of Alan Connolly. The decision was criticised by the
radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3  hertz (Hz) and 300  gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
commentators, and as Venkat left the wicket after some hesitation, trouble broke out in the East Stand. Bottles were thrown on the ground and chairs were burned while the awnings were set on fire in the North stand. Play continued for an hour in these circumstances. Until the 1960s, when international matches were played at the Brabourne, the teams would stay at the CCI itself. In an unusual occurrence, when Gundappa Viswanath completed a hundred runs for India against
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
in a test match in 1973, he was lifted by opposition fielder
Tony Greig Anthony William Greig (6 October 194629 December 2012) was a South African-born cricketer and commentator. Greig qualified to play for the England cricket team by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall () all-rounder who bowled both ...
.


Domestic cricket

Sixteen
Ranji Trophy The Ranji Trophy is a premier domestic first-class cricket championship played in India and organized annually by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The teams representing regional and state cricket associations participate. BCCI ...
finals and a Plate final have been played at the ground between 1938 and 2008. Bombay appeared in fourteen of these and won on each occasion. Among the notable innings played at the ground are
Denis Compton Denis Charles Scott Compton (23 May 1918 – 23 April 1997) was an English multi-sportsman. As a cricketer he played in 78 Test matches and spent his whole career with Middlesex. As a footballer, he played as a winger and spent most of his ca ...
's 249 not out for Holkar in the 1944–45 final and
Ajit Wadekar Ajit Laxman Wadekar (; 1 April 1941 – 15 August 2018) was an Indian international cricketer who played for the Indian national team between 1966 and 1974. Described as an "aggressive batsman", Wadekar made his first-class debut in 1958, ...
's triple century in 1966–67 against
Mysore Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
. CCI was the first to introduce
single wicket Single wicket cricket is a form of cricket played between two individuals, who take turns to bat and bowl against each other. The one bowling is assisted by a team of fielders, who remain as fielders at the change of innings. The winner is the one w ...
cricket in India. This competition in 1965 was won by
Vinoo Mankad Mulvantrai Himmatlal "Vinoo" Mankad (; 12 April 1917 – 21 August 1978) was a former Captain of Indian cricket team and appeared in 44 Test matches for India between 1946 and 1959. He was best known for his world record setting opening partn ...
. For three years after the termination of the Pentangular, Brabourne hosted an inter-zonal tournament.


Decline

Ever since the Brabourne Stadium was constructed, the CCI had a rough relationship with their tenantsthe Bombay Cricket Association (BCA)owing mostly to the disputes regarding the allotment of seats. In one instance, BCA even threatened to stage a Test at
Shivaji Park Shivaji Park, officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park, is a public park situated in Dadar, Mumbai. It is the largest park in the island city. Similar but bigger in size to Azad Maidan and Gowalia Tank, August Kranti Maidan (formerly Gowal ...
with temporary stands. In 1971, BCA President S. K. Wankhede was told by the then CCI President,
Vijay Merchant Vijay Singh Madhavji Merchant , (born Vijay Madhavji Thackersey; 12 October 1911 – 27 October 1987) was an Indian cricketer. A right-hand batsman and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, Merchant played first-class cricket for Bombay c ...
that the BCA would not be allotted any extra seats for the visit of England in 1972. CCI maintained that it spends a large amount in maintaining the ground and any further concessions would lead to substantial loss of revenue to the club. BCA decided to go ahead and construct a new ground of its own. The new Wankhede Stadium hosted its first Test match early in 1975 during the tour of West Indies. Wankhede had superseded Brabourne as the city's international cricket venue. Since then, except for a few first class matches, Brabourne staged few major games until 2006, though international cricket briefly returned to the ground in 1989, when Australia and Pakistan played an ODI against each other.


Golden Jubilee Celebrations

Festival matches were played at the ground to celebrate the golden jubilee of the CCI in 1987–88. Players such as Roger Binny and Mohammed Azharuddin played for a CCI XI,
Wasim Akram Wasim Akram (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ; born 3 June 1966) is a Pakistani cricket commentator, Coach (sport), coach, and former cricketer and captain (cricket), captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. Akram is regarded as one of the ...
,
Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician, philanthropist, and former cricketer who served as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. He was the founder of the political party Pak ...
, Rameez Raja, and Mudassar Nazar, among others, turned out for
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. Due to shortage of players for Pakistan,
Sachin Tendulkar Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who List of India national cricket captains#Men's cricket, captained the Indian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketer ...
, then just 14 years old, fielded for Pakistan as a substitute. This was Tendulkar's first exposure to international cricket. CCI rules had to be amended to allow the 14-year-old Sachin Tendulkar into the dressing room.
Raj Singh Dungarpur Raj Singh Dungarpur (19 December 1935 – 12 September 2009) was a president of Board of Control for Cricket in India. He played first class cricket for 16 years and was in and out of the Board of Control for more than 20 years. He was a se ...
, president of the club for several years, was instrumental in the decision to change this rule.


Return of international cricket


One Day Internationals

International cricket returned to Brabourne in 1989 when
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
played a
One Day International One Day International (ODI) is a format of cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which each team faces a fixed number of fifty overs, with the game lasting up to 7 hours. The World Cup, generally held every four yea ...
(ODI) against
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
during the MRF World Series for the Jawaharlal Nehru Cup.
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
took on
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
in a 1993 Hero Cup ODI game where
Jonty Rhodes Jonathan Neil "Jonty" Rhodes (born 27 July 1969) is a South African professional cricket coach, commentator and former Test cricket, Test and One Day International cricketer. He is regarded as one of the greatest fielders of all time and was the ...
took a world record five catches. Rhodes later recollected more than 20,000 people cheering him during this match, something which was rare for him in a foreign country.
Chris Cairns Christopher Lance Cairns (born 13 June 1970) is a former New Zealand cricketer and former ODI captain, who played for the New Zealand cricket team as an all-rounder. Cairns finished his Test career with a batting average of 33.53 and a bowling ...
, allegedly drunk, jumped into the CCI swimming pool the night before the deciding sixth ODI between
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
in 1995. He was dropped by coach
Glenn Turner Glenn Maitland Turner (born 26 May 1947) played cricket for New Zealand and was one of the country's most prolific batsmen. He played domestically for Otago for most of his career and played in England for Worcestershire County Cricket Club ...
for the match. India won the game and with it the series, with New Zealand scoring their lowest ODI total against India of 126.


Tour games

In recent years, a few of the teams visiting India have started their tour with a warm up match at the Brabourne. The match between Australia and
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
in 1997–98 was noted for
Sachin Tendulkar Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who List of India national cricket captains#Men's cricket, captained the Indian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketer ...
's first double hundred in first-class cricket. Mumbai won the game setting the tone for the rest of the tour. In 2000, several Test level Indian players turned out for a Board Presidents XI in a three-day warm up game against the touring
South Africans South Africans are the citizens of South Africa (officially the Republic of South Africa ''RSA. These individuals include those residing within the borders of South Africa, as well as the South African diaspora. History The first modern inh ...
. The match is remembered for Sachin Tendulkar announcing his resignation from the post of Captain of the Indian team at the press box. In 2006, the CCI Presidents XI played an unofficial three-day game with the visiting
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
team. Two one-day games were played here in 2014, one between India A and West Indies, the other against Sri Lanka. The stadium also hosted a two-day warm-up match between the Board President's XI and the visiting South African team in 2015. Brabourne Stadium also hosted two One day games between India A and England in early 2017. M.S. Dhoni was the captain of the India A team, the last time he was captaining a team. The stadium was filled to capacity and even though it was a warm up game. England were victorious in the first match while India A won the second game.


2006 ICC Champions Trophy and first T20I

International cricket returned to the ground after an 11-year hiatus in 2006 for which the ground was renovated. Brabourne Stadium hosted five ODI matches including the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
of the 2006 Champions trophy. Floodlights were installed at the ground for this tournament. Raj Singh Dungarpur, then president of the CCI, said "... We are turning a page and it was long awaited. It is like getting married again.". West Indian Jerome Taylor took a hat-trick against Australia in a group match. This was the first by a West Indian in ODIs, and the first in an ICC Champions Trophy. In the finals, the
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
beat the
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
to claim the title for the first time. The game was hampered by rain and was decided by the Duckworth-Lewis system. The pitch used for the matches faced criticism for being too slow for one-day cricket. Brabourne Stadium hosted the first
Twenty20 International Twenty20 International (T20I) is a form of Twenty20 cricket, in which each team plays a single innings with a maximum of twenty overs. The matches are played between international teams recognized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). ...
on Indian soil, when India beat Australia in a one-off game in October 2007.


Platinum Jubilee Test

The Wankhede Stadium underwent renovation between 2008 and Brabourne hosted international and first-class matches in Mumbai during that period. It was scheduled to host a Test match (BCCI's and CCI's Platinum Jubilee Test) against England in December 2008 but the match was switched to the PCA Stadium in
Mohali Mohali, officially Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar or Ajitgarh, is a planned city in the Mohali district in Punjab, India, Punjab, India, which is an administrative and a commercial hub lying south-west of Chandigarh. It is the headquarters of the M ...
following the
2008 Mumbai attacks The 2008 Mumbai attacks, also referred to as 26/11 attacks, were a series of coordinated Islamic terrorism, Islamist terrorist attacks that took place in November 2008, when 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based Islamist terrorist o ...
. Though the Test match took place at Mohali, the Platinum Jubilee celebrations were shelved. The ground did finally host another Test match in 2009. After a gap of 36 years, 9 months, and 21 daysthe longest gap between two successive Tests at any international groundBrabourne Stadium hosted a Test match between India and Sri Lanka.
Virender Sehwag Virender Sehwag (, born 20 October 1978) is a former Indian cricketer who represented India from 1999 to 2013. Widely regarded as one of the most destructive openers and one of the greatest batsmen of his era, he played for Delhi Capitals in I ...
scored a double century (293), but missed out on becoming the first person to score three triple centuries in Test cricket. India made their highest Test score of 726 for 9 and won the match by an innings. As a result of this win, India topped the ICC Test Championship for the first time. On the first day of the Test, the then
Chief Minister of Maharashtra The chief minister of Maharashtra (IAST: Mahārāṣṭrāce Mukhyamaṃtrī) is the head of the executive branch of the government of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Following elections to the Legislative Assembly, the governor invites ...
,
Ashok Chavan Ashok Shankarrao Chavan (born 28 October 1958) is an Indian politician from Maharashtra. He is the son of the late former Maharashtra Chief Minister Shankarrao Chavan. He was one of the most influential leaders of Indian National Congress in Ma ...
released a book commemorating 75 years of cricket at the CCI.


T20 leagues

CCI chose not to host the first season of the
Indian Premier League The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional Twenty20 (T20) cricket league in India, organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Founded in 2007, it features ten city-based Professional sports league organization, fr ...
(IPL) in 2008 as the IPL authorities wanted the club to hand over the pavilion to them on match days. Members enjoy the privilege of watching all matches from the members only clubhouse free of cost as per their rights enshrined in the club's constitution, something the club was unwilling to let go of and hence chose not to host IPL matches. As per IPL rules, the winner of the previous competition decides the venue for the finals. In 2009, the reigning Champions, Rajasthan Royals chose the Brabourne Stadium to host the finals of the second season. However, the dispute regarding use of the pavilion meant that no IPL matches could be held at the ground. The members were offered free seats in the stands, however the club rejected the offer, stating that members could not be moved out of the pavilion. In the end, the second season was moved out of India and held in South Africa due to security concerns. These issues were sorted out in 2010 and the Brabourne Stadium played host to seven home matches of the
Mumbai Indians The Mumbai Indians are a professional Twenty20, Twenty20 cricket team based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Indians were founded in 2008 and are owned by India's largest Conglomerate (company), co ...
in the third season. The
Mumbai Police The Greater Mumbai Police (Marathi language, Marathi: बृहन्मुंबई पोलीस, IAST: ''Brihanmumbaī Pulīs'', formerly ''Bombay City Police'') is the Police, police department of the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a cit ...
charged a then record 9.8 million for providing security for these matches. The ground was also scheduled to host three matches of the Champions League in
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, however, the tournament was cancelled due to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The stadium successfully hosted the Eliminator of IPL 7, scheduled to be played on 28 May 2014 between reigning IPL Champions
Mumbai Indians The Mumbai Indians are a professional Twenty20, Twenty20 cricket team based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Indians were founded in 2008 and are owned by India's largest Conglomerate (company), co ...
and two-time IPL winners
Chennai Super Kings The Chennai Super Kings, also known as CSK, are a professional Twenty20 cricket team based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The team was one of the eight debut franchises when the league was establ ...
, in which CSK emerged victorious.


Eligible unit

At its AGM in September 2013, the BCCI unanimously decided to allot international matches as per its rotation policy thereby bringing the ground back as a regular international venue. However, soon after the decision, the Mumbai Cricket Association objected to the resolution citing commercial reasons.


Other activities


Cricket-related

The North Stand of the Brabourne housed the BCCI headquarters and the 1983 Cricket World Cup trophy until 2006 when both were moved to the newly built Cricket Centre at the nearby Wankhede Stadium. The CCI has played host to BCCI AGMs as well as ICC meetings. The ground has staged one under-19 Test match in 1992 when
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
played
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
as well as one
Women's cricket Women's cricket is the team sport of cricket when played by woman, women. Its Laws of cricket, rules are almost identical to those in the game played by men, the main change being the use of a smaller cricket ball, ball. Women's cricket is b ...
One Day International match, again between
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
in 2003. In 1995, it was the venue for the ''Masters cup'' tournament played by veteran cricketers representing India, Sri Lanka, Australia, West Indies, South Africa, and England. Although the ground has not hosted a
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
match, it has been used as a practice venue during the
2011 Cricket World Cup The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, while the latter hosted World Cup matches for the first time. India won the tournament, defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the 2 ...
. In December 2012 it was announced that Brabourne would be one of the five venues which will host 2013 Women's Cricket World Cup matches. The final of the tournament was held on 17 February 2013 at Brabourne Stadium where Australia beat West Indies.


Concerts and events

In 1946, the leader of the
Ismaili Muslim Ismailism () is a branch of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor ( imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelver Shia, who accept M ...
s,
Aga Khan Aga Khan (; ; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imamate in Nizari doctrine, Imām of the Nizari Isma'ilism, Nizari Isma'ilism, Ismāʿīli Shia Islam, Shias. The current holder of the title is the ...
, was weighed in diamonds at the ground, the diamonds were then donated to charity.
Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...
, then
Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Union Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers, despite the president of ...
, addressed a packed Brabourne Stadium during a NUS convention in 1950.
Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and the Premier of the Soviet Union, Chai ...
, then chief of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...
, delivered a speech to a crowd of approximately 75,000 to 100,000 people at the ground in 1955. In November 1971 a concert was organised at the stadium by the ''Bangladesh Aid Committee'' in support of the
Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War (, ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, was an War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalism, Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which res ...
. The
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
celebrated its centenary at the ground in 1985. During this event, MF Husain was commissioned by the Congress to create 22 paintings within five days at Brabourne. A performance by 700 dancers and thousands of musicians took place at Brabourne in the presence of
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
in 1986. The performance interpreted religious themes through Indian dance. Brabourne was the venue of the second
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Times G ...
ceremony in 1955. The 26th
International Film Festival of India The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is an annual film festival currently held in Goa, on the western coast of India. The festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excel ...
was held at the Brabourne in 1995. The ground has played host to a few Music bands. In 1994,
Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...
performed at the Brabourne, which was his first concert in India. The
Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor :wikt:emeritus, emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father ...
–led Israel Philharmonic orchestra performed four concerts at Brabourne in 1994, each with a capacity crowd of 15,000.
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
performed at the ground during their Licks Tour on 7 April 2003 to a sold-out crowd of 25,000 people.
Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...
performed at the Brabourne in 2008 as part of a concert. Some Indian artists, such as
Jagjit Singh Jagjit Singh (born Jagmohan Singh Dhiman; 8 February 1941 – 10 October 2011) was an Indian composer, singer and musician. He composed and sang in List of languages by number of native speakers in India, numerous languages and is credite ...
and
Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar (; born Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. He ...
, have also performed at the ground. Awwal Number, a
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
movie starring
Aamir Khan Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and television personality who works in Bollywood, Hindi films. Referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" in the media, he is known for his work in a variety of film g ...
and directed by
Dev Anand Dev Anand (; born Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand; 26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011) was an Indian actor, writer, director and producer known for his work in Indian cinema, Hindi cinema. He is considered as one of the greatest and most succes ...
, was shot at the ground in the late 1980s.


Other sports

The ground hosted its first international tennis fixture in 1963, a
Davis Cup The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is organised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and contested annually between teams from over 150 competing countries, making it the world's largest annual ...
tie where
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
lost to the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Brabourne next hosted a Davis Cup match 43 years later in April 2006, an Asia-Oceania second round Group I tennis match where India defeated
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. An
ATP Tour The ATP Tour (known as ATP World Tour between January 2009 and December 2018) is the sole worldwide top-tier tennis tour for men organized by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) founded in 1990 that replaced the earlier dual Grand Prix ...
tournament, the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open, was held at the CCI tennis courts next to the ground in 2006 and 2007. A
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
exhibition game An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the playe ...
was held at the ground in 1955 when national champion Bombay played the visiting Soviet Union team. When Brabourne went out of favour for cricket matches in the 1970s, it held dog races and
Rovers Cup The Rovers Cup was an annual football tournament held in India, organized by the Western India Football Association. Incorporated in 1890, it was the third oldest tournament in India after Trades Cup. History Rovers Cup was incorporated by s ...
football matches.


See also

*
List of Test cricket grounds One hundred and twenty-three Ground (cricket), grounds have hosted Test cricket, men's Test cricket since the first officially recognised Test match between Australia and England in Melbourne in March 1877. The grounds are listed in the order in ...
* List of international cricket centuries at Brabourne Stadium * List of international cricket five-wicket hauls at Brabourne Stadium


References


Further reading


Score card of matches played at Brabourne stadium.
* * * {{Tourist attractions in Mumbai Test cricket grounds in India Cricket grounds in Maharashtra Sports venues in Mumbai Cricket in Mumbai Sports venues completed in 1937 1937 establishments in India 20th-century architecture in India