Feroz Shah Kotla

Ground information       Location Delhi Establishment : 1883 (48,000 capacity) Owner: Delhi District Cricket Association Operator: Delhi District Cricket Association Tenants : Delhi, Delhi Daredevils End names: Stadium End Pavilion End

History The Feroz Shah Kotla (Hindi: फ़िरोज़ शाह कोटला, Punjabi: ਫ਼ਿਰੋਜ਼ ਸ਼ਾਹ ਕੋਟਲਾ, Urdu: فروز شاہ کوٹلا) or Kotla (Hindi: कोटला, Punjabi: ਕੋਟਲਾ, Urdu: کوٹلا) was originally a fortress built by Sultan Ferozshah Tughlaq to house his version of Delhi city called Ferozabad. A pristine polished sandstone pillar from the 3rd century B.C. rises from the palace's crumbling remains, one of many pillars left by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka; it was moved from Ambala, Punjab and re-erected in its current location in 1356. The Feroz Shah Kotla was established as a cricket ground in 1883. In the 21st century, the Feroz Shah Kotla is famed for its cauldron-like atmosphere, which is supposed to be the best in the country. The vociferous home support has led to a great winning sequence for India in Test Matches, and the National Cricket Team has been undefeated for over 20 years at this ground. Firuz Shah Tughlaq (r. 1351-88), the Sultan of Delhi, established the fortified city of Firozabad in 1354, as the new capital of the Delhi Sultanate on the banks of Yamuna river, the site of the present Feroze Shah Kotla, literally Kotla (fortress or citadel) of Firoz Shah. Here he erected the Lat or Ashoka Column, attributed to Mauryan ruler Ashoka. The 13.1 metres high column, made of polished sandstone and dating from the 3rd Century BC, was brought from Ambala by Firoz Shah. Here it stands on the uppermost section of a three-tiered arcaded palace pavilion located near to the main royal residences and congregational mosque at heart of the fortified area. Most of the city was destroyed as subsequent rulers dismantled its buildings and reused the spolia as building materials Feroz Shah Kotla cricket ground The Feroz Shah Kotla was established as a cricket ground in 1883. The first Test match at this venue was played on November 10, 1948 when India took on the West Indies. Anil Kumble took 10 wickets in an inning on this ground in 1999, only the second time this feat has been achieved in test cricket. It is owned and operated by the DDCA (Delhi District Cricket Association). Since 2008 the stadium has been the home venue of the Delhi DareDevils of the Indian Premier League. The stadium was designed by renowed architect and conservationist Mr Danish Siddiqui & Naval Khanna. On 27 December 2009, an ODI match between India and Sri Lanka was called off because pitch conditions were classed as unfit to host a match. Based on match referee's report of the match, Kotla, which is scheduled to stage four World Cup matches in 2011, faced strict sanction ranging from a fine to a ban of 12 to 24 months. More than 14 months ban would have meant Kotla's exclusion from 2011 Cricket World Cup. But the ICC decided to ban Kotla for only 12 months, and as a result of that Kotla continues to be one of the venues for 2011 Cricket World Cup. Statistics Most Successful Team : India - 10 wins. Highest Innings Score : 644/8 by West Indies on February 6, 1959 - India drew with West Indies. Lowest Innings Score : 75 all out by West Indies on November 25, 1987 - India beat West Indies by 5 wickets. Wins Batting First : 5. Wins Batting Last : 12. Average Innings Score : 288 Most Prolific Batsman : Dilip Vengsarkar (671 runs). Highest Individual Score : 230* by Bert Sutcliffe v India on December 16, 1955 - India drew with New Zealand. Most Successful Bowler : Anil Kumble (58 wickets). Sports history In 1952, playing against Pakistan, Hemu Adhikari and Ghulam Ahmed were involved in a record tenth wicket stand of 109 runs - a record that still stands. In 1965, S Venkataraghavan, in his debut series, demolished the New Zealand line up with figures of 8 for 72 and 4 for 80. In 1969-70, Bishen Singh Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna combined to spin India to a famous seven wicket win over Australia, the duo picking 18 wickets between themselves. England's John Lever had a memorable debut at the Kotla in 1976, when he notched up a half-century and had match figures of 10 for 70. Five years later, Geoff Boycott surpassed Gary Sobers' world record Test aggregate. In 1983-84, Sunil Gavaskar scored his 29th century to equal Don Bradman's long standing record for the highest number of hundreds in Test cricket. In 1999-2000, in a match against Pakistan, Anil Kumble took 10 for 74 in forth inning of a Test Match and became the second person to take 10 wickets in an innings after Jim Laker. In 2005-06, at the same ground, Sachin Tendulkar broke Gavaskar's record of most centuries with his 35th Test century.