Pithwala Stadium

Pithwala Stadium in Surat, Gujarat, is a domestic cricket venue with a capacity of 12,000, owned by the Surat District Cricket Association. Established in 1990, the stadium has hosted women's international cricket including India Women vs England Women in December 2004 and has been a regular venue for Gujarat domestic cricket. Surat - known as the diamond capital of the world and India's fastest-growing urban economy - is a passionate cricket city, and Pithwala Stadium serves as a key facility for nurturing cricketing talent in the Surat district. The ground has produced numerous Gujarat Ranji Trophy players and women cricketers who have gone on to represent India in international competitions.

Pithawala Stadium is a cricket stadium in Surat, Gujarat, India. The stadium has two Ranji Trophy matches in 1989 and 1992. The stadium hosted its first first-class match when Gujarat cricket team played against Baroda cricket team as match was drawn. Again in 1992 when Gujarat cricket team played against Baroda cricket team as match was won by Baroda by 195 runs.

In 2004, the stadium hosted a Women's One Day International when touring Australia women's national cricket team played against India women's national cricket team as Australia won by 32 runs.

Currently, The 2020–21 Vijay Hazare Trophy is the 19th season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, a List A cricket tournament in India. It is being contested by 38 teams, divided into six groups, with six teams in Group A. Baroda, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Hyderabad and Tripura were placed in Group A, with all the matches taking place in Surat and Pithwala Stadium is one of the host of this tournament for Group A.

Getting into the ground in Surat is half the fun. It's loud, it's chaotic, and it's brilliant. The local Surat District Cricket Association folks finally sorted out the floodlight setups and the drainage—which used to be a massive headache during the rainy months. Now? A quick shower rolls through and they're back playing almost instantly. It's a proper old-school cricket vibe with just enough modern polish to keep things comfortable.

Let's talk about the pitch. It's your classic red soil deck. First morning? The seamers usually get the ball to talk. It nips around just enough to keep the slips interested. But once the sun bakes it, the track flattens out beautifully. By day three, you'll see batters just planting their front foot and trusting the bounce. If you're a spinner, you better hope there's some rough outside the off-stump, otherwise it's a long, long day.

The sheer volume of 12,000 fans packed into the stands is mental. They established this place back in 1990, and it feels like the ghosts of past games are still hanging around. Touring teams hate coming here. The crowd gets under your skin. They chant, they sing, and they do not stop. It's exhausting in the best possible way.

They occasionally pull the boundary ropes in for the shorter formats to guarantee fireworks. And yeah, it works. The crowd wants sixes, and they get them. But during the longer formats, the ground staff push them right back out. You have to genuinely time the ball to perfection to clear the ropes. No cheap edges flying into the crowd here.

Honestly, the whole local economy runs on this stadium during the season. Every hotel gets booked out. The street vendors make a killing selling jerseys and flags. It’s not just a patch of grass; it’s an economic engine. When the lights go on and the crowds flood in, the entire neighborhood comes alive.