Sawai Mansingh Stadium: Where royalty meets flair

It has been almost 50 years since the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur was established: the ground was completed in 1969 with a seating capacity of 23,185. The first international game played there was between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in 1983 – as the hosts were fresh from a shocking World Cup victory just four months back – while unfortunately, the only Test staged at the stadium was also contested by them.

That came four years later, when the Pakistan President Zia-ul-Haq landed in India as part of his “Cricket for Peace” programme. Though that match ended in a rain-affected – and also a controversial – draw, further honours for the stadium arrived when it hosted matches of the 1987 and the 1996 World Cups. In 2006, it went through a massive renovation pioneered by the Rajasthan Cricket Association head, Lalit Modi. Multiple facilities were added to boost the stadium which can now house 30,000 people; in the same year, it played host to numerous games of the ICC Champions Trophy as well as the Women's Asia Cup.

But Indian cricket fans' heartiest memory from there might remain a long-haired, passionate MS Dhoni's bludgeoning just a year earlier in 2005, when he smacked 183* against Sri Lanka, still the highest by a wicket-keeper in ODIs. Another cherished moment which the Sawai Mansingh Stadium has witnessed was the 52-ball century by Virat Kohli in 2013, the fastest by an Indian in the format.

But much before that, in 2008, the ground was given an IPL franchise with the tournament also featuring local side Rajasthan Royals, who were led by the talismanic Shane Warne; and the former Australia leg-spinner answered his team's calls by leading them to the title in the inaugural edition.

However, controversy surrounded the side when their owners were found guilty of betting as the spot-fixing controversy arose in 2013. As a result, the Royals – alongside Chennai Super Kings – were banned from the IPL for two seasons in 2016 and 2017. But this year, they have returned under a new captain in Ajinkya Rahane – though their initial choice Steven Smith's absence is a different story altogether – and managed to rope in two of the most expensive players during the auction: Ben Stokes and Jaydev Undakat.

But amongst all that, the locals will hope that Test cricket can return to the city soon; and with India all but finalised as hosts of the 2023 World Cup, they will be eagerly awaiting some big-ticket matches in the coming years.