With a spacious seating capacity of over 40,000 and home to Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, the ACA Stadium in Guwahati, Assam is the largest cricket stadium in Northeast India. It boasts of modern architecture and state-of-the-art facilities, making it a popular venue for cricket matches, concerts, and other events. In 2023, the Royals hosted their first-ever IPL home game at the ACA Stadium, a testament to the franchise's commitment to promoting cricket in the Northeast and creating opportunities for aspiring cricketers to showcase their skills on a global platform.
As a franchise focused on transforming society through cricket, the Royals continue to focus their energies on building grassroots-level cricket in Assam and across India. The faith in local talent has seen the rise of promising players like Riyan Parag, bringing them into the national spotlight through the IPL.
The ACA Stadium or the Assam Cricket Association Stadium, is also known as Dr Bhupen Hazarika Cricket Stadium, named after the famous musician and filmmaker from Assam. It is also called the Barsapara Stadium, after the locality. Construction of the stadium started in 2006. The first match played at the ACA Stadium was an Assam vs Odisha East Zone Senior Women's Interstate One-day Championship match on November 4, 2012. According to Assam Cricket, the main field has eight pitches on the wicket square and there are 10 pitches on a separate practice wicket area. In the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy season, the ground hosted four matches. Assam against Kerala was the first first-class match. The ACA Stadium is one of the finest in the country, boasting of all the modern facilities.
It made its international debut in October 2017 by hosting a men's T20 International match between India and Australia, which the visitors won by eight wickets.
The ACA Stadium in Guwahati has played host to ODIs as well, with the Indian cricket team winning its first match there against the West Indies in 2018. A high-scoring venue, Virat Kohli has two centuries in two matches at the ground. It was also hosted three warm-up matches in the build-up to the ODI World Cup 2023 while one, between India and England, was washed out.
ACA Stadium, the second home to Rajasthan Royals after the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, has also hosted women's T20Is. It is yet to make its debut in the longest format of the game. The ACA Stadium also hosts Assam's Ranji Trophy matches.
How to reach ACA Stadium?
To get to the ACA Stadium, visitors have several options. Fans from outside Assam can take a flight to Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. From there, the stadium is approximately an hour’s drive away. Visitors can take in the sights and sounds of the city along the way. Alternatively, visitors can board a train to Guwahati Railway Station and then take a taxi or bus to the stadium. This would give visitors an opportunity to experience the vast and diverse landscape of Assam and appreciate the beauty of the region. The Rock Statue, Umachal Rock Inscription, Dimasa Kingdom and Lokpriya Rupnath Brahma Statue are the famous landmarks near the Rajasthan Royals' home ground.
