1 hour ago
4
ARTICLE AD BOX
3 min readNew DelhiFeb 10, 2026 10:36 PM IST
A general view of the Arun Jaitley Stadium. (Express Photo by Praveen Khanna)
A new cricket stadium in Delhi with a spectator capacity of 60,000 to 70,000 is in the works and the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is confident of getting land before the end of this year.
A cricket academy, a separate training ground and multiple nets are part of the plan for the international stadium with the DDCA engaged in discussions with the Delhi government as well as the Centre.
“The DDCA wants to build a new modern stadium within Delhi which will have world-class facilities and enhance fans’ experience. We hope to get land clearance by the end of this year. We have identified parcels of land in Delhi, including in Okhla, Dwarka, Rohini and Narela. But we want a location which has good metro and road connectivity and is also close to hotels and hospitals,” DDCA president Rohan Jaitley told The Indian Express.
Letters have been written to the office of the Delhi chief minister as well as to the union government for allotment of land. A conversation also took place between chief minister Rekha Gupta, International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah – a former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary – and Jaitley.
“The DDCA has written to the Delhi chief minister and also the union government. On the sidelines of the Messi tour’s Delhi stopover, I had discussions with the chief minister Rekha Gupta and ICC chairman Jay Shah about the new stadium. They were both keen that a modern cricket stadium be built in the national capital,” Jaitley said.
The Arun Jaitley Stadium will continue to host international matches even after the new stadium is built. The current venue with the Ambedkar Stadium — which hosts football matches — at one end and the Feroz Shah Kotla (fort) at the other end has no scope for expansion. The DDCA is hoping to get about 45 acres of land to build the new stadium.
The Arun Jaitley Stadium has a current capacity of 35,000. “We are looking at a capacity of 60,000 to 70,000 with an additional ground,” Jaitley added.
Story continues below this ad
This is not the first time a new cricket stadium has been proposed in Delhi. In 2002-03, the BCCI, Delhi Development Authority and DDCA had plans for a sports city, but the proposal never took off.
Nihal Koshie is an Associate Editor and sports writer at The Indian Express. He is best known for his in-depth reporting and investigative work that often explores the intersection of sports and social issues. He is also a key member of the sports desk, which is based out of The Indian Express' office in Noida. Professional Background Role: Associate Editor (Sports) at The Indian Express. Key Achievements: He is a two-time winner of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. He won the RNG award for 'Sports Journalism' for 2019 for his exclusive interview and follow up stories with sprinter Dutee Chand, who became the first Indian athlete to say she was in a same-sex relationship. He won his second RNG award in the 'Investigative Reporting' for 2023 for a series of exclusive stories related to sexual harassment charges levelled against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by the country's top women wrestlers. Expertise: While he covers major sports, he is particularly recognized for his extensive reporting on Athletics, investigative stories and long-form news features. Recent Notable Topics & Articles (Late 2025) Nihal Koshie’s recent work reflects a focus on investigative and human-interest stories Recent investigative pieces: He recently wrote a profile of an Indian teenager serving a jail sentence in Kenya after being embroiled in a doping scandal while chasing "Olympic dreams." Wrestling: He continues to track the political and social fallout of the Indian wrestling protests, including the recent public appearances of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and the political career of wrestler Vinesh Phogat. Recent long-form features: The story of the rise of Kranti Gaud, the young fast bowler who was a key member of the ICC women's World Cup-winning team; The physics and science behind modern cricket bats Podcast Presence He is a guest and contributor to the "Game Time" podcast by The Indian Express, where he provides technical and social analysis of current sporting events. Experience: 24+ years Previous experience: Times of India (2001-2005), Daily News and Analysis (2005 to 2010) Nihal joined The Indian Express in May, 2010 Social Media X ( formerly Twitter) : @nkoshie You can follow his latest work and full archive on his official author profile. ... Read More
Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
English (US) ·