Famously known as Abu Dhabi Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium has been serving as a hub for several major cricket matches. Opened to the public in 2004 at a cost of 22 million dollars, the stadium is considered one of the iconic venues, especially for hosting matches between India and Pakistan.
Do you want to know more about the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, including its pitch report, stats, and records? Let’s unwrap the brief.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium Overview
Having a capacity of holding 20,000 spectators, Sheikh Zayed Stadium serves as a venue for hosting different high-stakes cricket matches.
The stadium is located at Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, and recorded its inaugural first-class match between Scotland and Kenya in November as part of an Intercontinental Cup fixture.
| Venue Name | Sheikh Zayed Stadium |
| Location | Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Opened | 2004 |
| Seating Capacity | 20,000 |
| Shortest Boundary | 65 meters |
| Longest Boundary | 82 meters |
| Bowling Ends | Pavilion End, North End |
| Floodlights | Yes |
The stadium is equipped with floodlights to organize night matches, as well as a changing rooms and ultra-modern players’ and officials’ accommodations but not a traditional pavilion and north bowling ends.
The stadium has also hosted a friendly match between Thailand and Oman in January 2019.
SUGGESTED READ: Namibia to Host South Africa for One-Off T20I in 2025
Pitch Report
Talking about the Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch report, the pitch is more friendly to batsmen than to bowlers. As the match progresses, the wicket tends to get flatter which makes it difficult for bowlers to swing, making it a batter’s paradise.
| Pitch Type | Description | Team Selection Tip |
| Batsman Friendly | Pitch supports batting | More batsmen and batting all-rounders |
| Bowler Friendly | Pitch supports bowlers | More bowlers and bowling all-rounders |
| Pace Friendly | Pitch favors fast bowlers | More pacers than spinners |
| Spin Friendly | Pitch favors spin bowlers | More spinners than pacers |
This is why most of the team likes to bat first in the game, so they can score big runs in the first innings and defend them in the second. The venue is especially great for T20 matches since it promises fans and players a lifetime experience.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium’s Stats
Over the decades, Sheikh Zayed Stadium has hosted a total of 131 matches across all formats.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium’s stats on the average 1st innings score are 360 in Test, 241 in ODIs, and 142 in T20Is, while the highest score ever recorded is 598/9 in the match between England and Pakistan.
Similarly, the lowest score the stadium has ever recorded is 63, which was set by Afghanistan against Scotland.
| Category | Tests | ODIs | T20Is |
| Total Matches | 131 (combined total across all formats) | ||
| Avg 1st Inn Score | 360 | 241 | 142 |
| Highest Total | 598/9 dec – England vs Pakistan | 313/9 – Pakistan vs Sri Lanka | 225/7 – Ireland vs Afghanistan |
| Lowest Total | 72 – England vs Pakistan | 63 – Afghanistan vs Scotland | 84 – Bangladesh vs South Africa |
| Highest Chase | 108/4 – Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe | 295/6 – Pakistan vs West Indies | 167/5 – New Zealand vs England |
| Highest Individual | 278* – AB de Villiers (SA) vs Pakistan | 137 – Alastair Cook (ENG) vs Pakistan | 117* – Shaiman Anwar (UAE) vs Papua New Guinea |
| Best Bowling | 7/137 – Rashid Khan (AFG) vs Zimbabwe | 6/28 – Joshua Davey (SCO) vs Afghanistan | 4/13 – Craig Young (IRE) vs Nigeria |
Meanwhile, the highest run chase made by the team was 295 by Pakistan in the ODI match against the West Indies, where the men in green won the game by 4 wickets.
The legendary player AB de Villiers’ name is also registered as the player to score the highest individual score. He scored an unbeaten 278 runs again in the test match against Pakistan.
IPL Records at Sheikh Zayed Stadium
While talking about the stats and records in the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, the popular franchise league, IPL, should also be considered, as it produces several high-quality competitive matches.
The first ever IPL match that was played in Sheikh Zayed Stadium was in 2014 between KKR and MI. Ever since then, a total of 37 matches have been played where Ben Stokes has stood as a batsman, scoring the highest individual score (107* against MI).
| Category | Details |
| First Match | 16/04/2014 – KKR vs MI |
| Total Matches Played | 37 |
| Matches Won Batting First | 16 |
| Matches Won Batting Second | 21 |
| Matches Won Winning Toss | 20 |
| Matches Won Losing Toss | 17 |
| Matches with No Result | 0 |
| Highest Individual Innings | 107* – Ben Stokes (RR) vs MI on 25/10/2020 |
| Best Bowling | 5/20 – Varun Chakravarthy (KKR) vs DC on 24/10/2020 |
| Highest Team Innings | 235/9 – MI vs SRH on 08/10/2021 |
| Lowest Team Innings | 70 – RCB vs RR on 26/04/2014 |
| Average Score Batting First | 159 |
Similarly, the team that batted first on this ground won 16 matches, while the team batting second won 21 matches, and there were zero matches that ended up with no result.
The average score batting first is 159, but the highest total score for any team is 235, scored by MI against SRH in the year 2021.
Boundary Dimensions of Sheikh Zayed Stadium
The boundary length of the stadium is pretty average, where most of the batters find it easy to hit maximum beyond the boundary. The Abu Dhabi Cricket Stadium boundary length in meters is 82 meters, the longest boundary, and 65 meters, the shortest boundary.
YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED: India Beats Trinidad in Deaf Cricket Tour 2025 Clash
