The short Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium pitch report: this is one of the best batting surfaces in India. The pitch at Uppal offers true bounce and carry, the outfield is fast, and Sunrisers Hyderabad have made two of the biggest totals in IPL history here: 286/6 in 2025 and 277/3 in 2024.
Bowlers are not helpless. Seamers who hit the deck hard get carry with the new ball, and the surface can slow a little through the middle overs, which gives spinners some grip. But on most nights the question is how many, not whether batters will score.
Below you will find a quick verdict, how the pitch behaves in T20, ODI and Test cricket, the main IPL and ODI records, and what to watch for on match day.
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium pitch report: quick verdict
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Batting or bowling? | Batting. It is among the highest-scoring grounds in the IPL. |
| Pace or spin? | Hit-the-deck pace early; spinners who vary their pace in the middle overs. |
| Toss in the IPL | Chasing sides have won more IPL games here over the years, though in 2026 SRH batted first in all seven home games and won five. |
| Recent IPL scoring | SRH posted 240-plus at home in 2024, 2025 and 2026. |
| ODIs | Sides batting first have won 6 of the 10 ODIs played here (as of October 2026). |
Ground overview
The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium is in Uppal, in the east of Hyderabad, and is owned by the Hyderabad Cricket Association. It was originally called the Visaka International Cricket Stadium. Its first international match was an ODI between India and South Africa in November 2005.
Capacity figures vary by source, from about 39,000 up to 55,000. The two ends are the Pavilion End and the North End, now named the VVS Laxman End after the Hyderabad batter.
The ground was home to Deccan Chargers in the early IPL years and has been the home of Sunrisers Hyderabad since the franchise joined the league in 2013. It hosted its first Test in November 2010, against New Zealand, and its first T20 international in December 2019, against West Indies.
Hyderabad stadium pitch report: how the surface plays
T20 and the IPL
In T20 cricket, Hyderabad is a batting ground for most of the game. The surface is usually flat with even bounce, so batters can hit through the line from the first over, and the quick outfield turns good shots into boundaries.
What bowlers get is mostly early and mostly for pace. Seamers who bang the ball into the pitch can find carry in the powerplay. Through the middle overs the surface tends to slow a touch and grip, which is where spinners and cutters come in. Hitting a hard length or taking pace off the ball is usually a better plan here than pitching it up in search of swing.
The long-run IPL numbers understate how high scoring has become. The all-time average first-innings score at the ground is roughly in the low-to-mid 160s, but that includes many seasons before the current batting boom. Since 2024 it has produced the two big totals at the top of the records table below, a successful chase of 246 and, in IPL 2026, home totals of 242/2 and 255/4.
ODIs
ODIs here have produced some huge totals. Of the ten ODIs played as of October 2026, three produced first-innings scores of 344 or more, and the team batting first won six.
Tests
In Test cricket the pitch starts as a good batting surface and can turn more as the match goes on. India's 687/6 declared against Bangladesh in 2017, with Virat Kohli scoring 204, is the highest total in the six Tests played here, but England's 28-run win in January 2024 showed the other side. India led by 190 on first innings, Ollie Pope's 196 turned the match, and debutant spinner Tom Hartley took 7/62 as India were bowled out for 202 in the fourth innings.
IPL scores and records
| Record | Figure | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Highest total | 286/6 | SRH v RR, March 2025 |
| Second-highest total | 277/3 | SRH v MI, March 2024 (MI replied with 246/5) |
| Highest successful chase | 247/2, chasing 246 | SRH v PBKS, April 2025 |
| Highest individual score | 141 | Abhishek Sharma, SRH v PBKS, April 2025 |
| Lowest total | 80 all out | Delhi Daredevils v SRH, May 2013 |
| Best bowling | 6/12 | Alzarri Joseph, MI v SRH, April 2019 |
A few points stand out. Abhishek Sharma has been central to SRH's run-scoring here: his 141 off 55 balls drove the 2025 chase, and he made an unbeaten hundred in the 242/2 against Delhi Capitals in April 2026. SRH's biggest home total of IPL 2026 was 255/4 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in May, which they won by 55 runs.
The ground has not always been a run-fest, as the lowest total and best bowling in the table show. Totals have climbed sharply in recent seasons, so treat older averages with care.
Across all IPL seasons, chasing sides have won more matches here than sides batting first. That supports bowling first in a night game, though in 2026 SRH batted first in all seven home games and won five.
ODI records at Uppal
As of October 2026, ten men's ODIs have been played at the ground, from India v South Africa in 2005 to three matches at the 2023 World Cup. These are the key Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium ODI records:
| ODI record | Figure | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Highest total | 350/4 | Australia v India, November 2009 |
| Second-highest total | 349/8 | India v New Zealand, January 2023 |
| Highest successful chase | 345/4, chasing 345 | Pakistan v Sri Lanka, World Cup, October 2023 |
| Lowest total | 174 all out | England v India, October 2011 |
| Highest individual score | 208 | Shubman Gill, India v New Zealand, January 2023 |
| Results | 6 wins batting first, 4 chasing | 10 ODIs, 2005–2023 (as of October 2026) |
Behind the numbers are some memorable ODIs. In 2009 Australia made 350/4, and Sachin Tendulkar's 175 took India to within three runs of the target. In 2023 Shubman Gill hit 208 off 149 balls, and New Zealand, led by Michael Bracewell's 140, were bowled out for 337, 12 runs short.
At the 2023 World Cup, Sri Lanka made 344/9 and Pakistan chased it down with Mohammad Rizwan making 131 not out and Abdullah Shafique 113. At the time it was the highest successful chase in World Cup history. The lowest ODI total here is England's 174 in 2011, when India won by 126 runs.
T20I highlights
The ground has hosted four completed T20 internationals, and every one has produced a first-innings score of 186 or more:
- December 2019: West Indies made 207/5 and India chased it down, with Virat Kohli 94 not out.
- September 2022: India chased 187 to beat Australia and win the series 2-1.
- October 2024: India made 297/6 against Bangladesh, with Sanju Samson scoring 111 off 47 balls, and won by 133 runs.
- October 2026: West Indies made 247/3, with Shai Hope 102 not out, and beat India by 24 runs.
Weather, dew and day vs night
IPL matches in Hyderabad are played in the hottest part of the year. Average daytime highs climb into the high 30s °C in April and May, and it is usually dry. Heat tends to dry a pitch out, so look for a little more grip for spinners in afternoon games.
Dew is less predictable here than at coastal grounds; check the forecast and the broadcaster's report on the day.
Reading a Hyderabad match with CricGuru
Think of CricGuru's forecast and this pitch report as two separate inputs. The AI win probability looks only at recent form, the head-to-head record, league-table strength (points per game) and a small home advantage, with an AI-written preview alongside. Pitch, venue, weather and the toss play no part in it.
Start from the match page: find the upcoming fixture on CricGuru's live and upcoming matches, sign in and request the prediction (a free account comes with a few trial predictions, and paid plans add a daily allowance). Once you have the probability, weigh it against Hyderabad's conditions. A team with a power-hitting top order and bowlers who can vary their pace is better equipped here than one built around swing. The team pages show recent results and squads. If you want to understand how these factors fit together, read our guide on how to predict cricket matches, and see the IPL pitch report for every venue for how Hyderabad compares with other grounds.
FAQ
Is the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium pitch good for batting or bowling?
It is good for batting. The pitch has true bounce and the outfield is fast, which is why the ground holds two of the biggest totals in IPL history. Bowlers get carry early and a little grip in the middle overs, but they need to be accurate and vary their pace.
What is the highest IPL score at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium?
Sunrisers Hyderabad's 286/6 against Rajasthan Royals in March 2025 is the highest IPL total at the ground. Their 277/3 against Mumbai Indians in 2024 is second.
What is the highest ODI score in Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi Stadium?
Australia's 350/4 against India in November 2009 is the highest ODI total here. India's 349/8 against New Zealand in 2023 is next, and Shubman Gill's 208 in that match is the highest individual ODI score at the ground.
Should you bat first or chase in Hyderabad?
In the IPL, chasing sides have won more often over the ground's history, so bowling first at night has logic behind it. In ODIs, the side batting first has won six of the ten played as of October 2026. Recent SRH sides have shown that a very big first-innings total can be hard to chase, so the toss matters less than how a team uses the conditions. Our guide on whether winning the toss matters looks at this in more detail.
Does the Hyderabad pitch help spinners?
Somewhat. In T20s it slows a little and grips in the middle overs, which helps spinners who take pace off the ball. In Tests it turns more as the match goes on, as Tom Hartley's 7/62 for England in 2024 showed.
Planning for a match in Hyderabad
Hyderabad is a ground where batting sides set the pace and bowling sides look for small margins. Expect big totals, check the pitch report for grass and moisture, and weigh the conditions alongside each team's form.