Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium

Venue description:

Sitting at 1457 meters above sea level, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala, is widely regarded as the most picturesque cricket stadium in the world. With the beautiful Dhauladhar mountain range lacing its backdrop, the HPCA stadium offers one of the most stunning views to its visitors, especially when the mighty peaks are blanketed in snow.

Even though international cricket made its first appearance here only in 2013, the HPCA stadium has already established itself as a world-class cricket destination in a very short time. Best known for being the abode of the Dalai Lama, this quaint little town first found its place on the cricketing world map in 2010, when Chennai Super Kings locked horns with Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

How does the pitch play?

With India losing its recent T20I against South Africa even after setting an imposing target of 200, one can easily make out that the pitch here usually offers a lot of runs. Since the ground is located at a high altitude, the ball travels faster as well. In addition, the dew becomes a major factor in the evening if you're playing during the September-March period. That's the reason why teams prefer to chase at this venue.

Apart from eight IPL games, the ground has also hosted two ODIs. The first ODI at this stadium may have been a dull encounter, but India made up for it by making 330 in their next game here. Virat Kohli made 127 in that match as India managed to beat the West Indies by 59 runs, despite Marlon Samuels cracking a 106-ball 112.