After a 19-year hiatus. India's legendary cricket stadium set for grand reopening
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
An iconic cricket stadium in India, left idle for nearly two decades, is finally nearing the completion of a sweeping £25 million renovation.
The Nahar Singh Stadium in Faridabad, Delhi, hosted international matches from 1988 to 2006, with its last major game held in March 2006, when India triumphed over England in a One Day International. Just a year later, the venue was deemed unfit for play and subsequently removed from the international cricket calendar.
Plans to revive the stadium only emerged in 2019, but the project was bogged down by bureaucratic hurdles, funding delays, and disputes over the construction of a new pavilion. By 2022, expenses had soared to 74 crore rupees (about £6.2 million), forcing work to a standstill.
In February 2024, local authorities took charge of the project, deciding not only to restore the stadium and its surroundings but also to expand facilities for various sporting events and increase capacity from 25,000 seats. The total budget has now soared to 292 crore rupees (£24.8 million).
Now, restoration work is in its final stage—the playing surface has been upgraded and the stadium’s perimeter is undergoing repairs. While the venue will face stiff competition to host international fixtures, after reconstruction it is set to become one of the brightest jewels in Indian cricket’s stadium crown.
