Brabourne Stadium
Encyclopedia
The Brabourne Stadium is a cricket
ground in the India
n city of Mumbai
. It is located on 90,000 square yards of reclaimed land along Marine Drive
near Churchgate railway station
in South Mumbai
. The stadium is owned by the Cricket Club of India
(CCI). Brabourne Stadium is India's first permanent sporting (and cricket) venue. The North Stand of the Brabourne also housed the Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) headquarters and the 1983 Cricket World Cup
trophy until 2006 when both were moved to the newly built Cricket Centre at the nearby Wankhede Stadium
.
Brabourne Stadium hosted Test matches
from 1948 to 1972, and also the Bombay Pentangular
matches. The stadium was known to host crowds beyond capacity. CCI members get to watch all matches from the members only clubhouse free of cost as per the their rights enshrined in the clubs constitution. After disputes over ticketing arrangements with CCI, the Mumbai Cricket Association
(MCA) built the Wankhede Stadium
, a few hundred metres north of Brabourne. After Wankhede was built, Brabourne was no longer the venue for Test matches
although visiting teams played a few first-class matches
there.
On 2 December 2009, Brabourne hosted the third Test match of the series between India
and Sri Lanka
. This was the longest interval between hosting of two successive Tests at the same venue – a period of 36 years, 9 months and 21 days.
1933–34 tour of India, with its registered office in New Delhi
. R. E. Grant Govan
, the President of the BCCI, became the first President of the club. Anthony de Mello
, the Secretary of BCCI from its inception until 1937, also served the secretary of CCI from 1933 to 1937.
The negotiations for the land for the new cricket stadium took place between de Mello and the Bombay governor Lord Brabourne
. The popular story goes that before returning at the end of the meeting, de Mello asked Lord Brabourne : 'Your excellency, which would you prefer to accept from sportsmen, money for your Government, or immortality for yourself?'. Brabourne chose immortality and CCI was soon allotted 90,000 square yards at a price of Rs. 13.50 per square yard from land reclaimed in the Backbay reclamation scheme. Messrs. Gregson, Batley and King were appointed the architects of the stadium, Shapoorji Pallonji & co
were awarded the contract for construction and Frank Tarrant
was the first groundsman. The intention of the stadium design was such that it be the Lord's Cricket Ground
of India.
The foundation stone was laid by Lord Brabourne on 22 May 1936. The ground was intended to provide covered accommodation for 35,000 spectators and contain pavilion, tennis courts and a swimming pool. The first match was played in the incomplete stadium in October 1937 between the CCI and the Spencer Cup XI. The stadium was opened on 7 December 1937 by Roger Lumley
, the Governor of Bombay, Lord Brabourne being now the Governor of Bengal. The stadium was named after Brabourne at the suggestion of the Maharaja of Patiala
. On the same day, CCI met the visiting Lord Tennyson's XI in the inaugural first-class
match in the stadium.
The estimated cost of construction was Rs. 18 lakhs (1.8 million) but the actual costs exceeded this by over a third. It took the efforts of people like Abubhai Jasdenwala
who had succeeded de Mello as the secretary in 1937 and Sir Nowroji Saklatwala
, the head of the Tatas for a few years for the CCI to cover the costs. The Maharaja of Idar paid for the Governor's pavilion and Maharaja of Patiala for the pavilion that was named after him. The deficits were paid off from the sale of debentures and from the income from the Bombay Pentangular matches.
The pavilion can be divided into the clubhouse in the centre with the Governors Pavilion and Maharaja of Patiala Pavilion on either side and is a three story art deco nautical structure with rounded pediments, flagpoles and port-hole type windows. The pavilion boasts of dark wood wall panellin and decorative marble floors. The walls of the pavilion are adorned by portraits of past and present cricketers and famous cricket matches.
The Brabourne Stadium has drawn praise from various quarters. Australian cricketer Keith Miller
called the ground "the most complete ground in the world". According to West Indian legend Frank Worrell
, the Brabourne was the only ground in the world where the could be in his dressing gown until he had to pad up, hence he loved playing at the venue. According to Worrell's compatriot, Brian Lara
, ‘‘It is one of the most beautiful venues across the world. Perfect to host a good cricket match.’’ For Indian captain, M. S. Dhoni, "... Of course, it is special to play at CCI. ... It has a nice atmosphere." Noted Journalist and Chairman of the Mid Day group, Khalid A. H. Ansari writes in his newspaper, "Having witnessed cricket the world over, I can confidently say that cricket at the alluring Brabourne Stadium is an experience without parallel."
With the completion of the stadium in 1937, the Bombay Pentangular
tournament was moved from the Bombay Gymkhana
. It was in this year that the Rest entered the competition as the fifth team. Hindus, however, withdrew their team after a dispute over the seating allocation. The battle between Vijay Merchant
and Vijay Hazare
in 1943–44 saw the record for the highest individual score being bettered three times in the first week of December ending with Hazare's 309 out of Rest's 387 all out in the final. In the Ranji match against Maharashtra
that began on the last day of the year, Merchant improved upon it with an innings of 359 not out which still stands as the highest score made on the ground. In the 1944–45 final of the Pentangular, Muslims chased 298 to defeat the Hindus by one wicket. The Pentangular tournament was discontinued after the 1946–47 season .
Brabourne hosted seventeen Test matches, starting with two against West Indies
in India's first home series after the war in 1948–49. The first test to produce a result at the Brabourne was the fourth it hosted, when India beat Pakistan in 1952. India won their first ever test series after taking a 2–1 lead on the basis of this victory. Vijay Hazare scored a hundred in each of his four appearances. Indian batsman Abbas Ali Baig
became the first Indian cricketer to be kissed on a cricket field during third Test between India and Australia at the Brabourne in 1960. When Baig reached the fifty run mark, a young woman ran onto the stadium from the North Stand and kissed him on his cheek. 16 Ranji Trophy
finals and a Plate final were played at the stadium between 1938 and 2011. Bombay figured in fourteen of these and won on each occasion. Among the other notable innings played at the ground are Denis Compton
's 249* for Holkar in the 1944–45 final and Ajit Wadekar
's triple century in 1966–67 against Chandrasekhar
and Prasanna.
The one serious instance of crowd trouble at the stadium happened in the final session of the fourth day of the Test match between India and Australia. With India in desperate trouble in the second innings Wadekar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan were involved in a partnership of 25 for the eighth wicket when the latter was declared out caught behind off the bowling of Alan Connolly
. The decision was criticised by the radio
commentators, and as Venkat left the wicket after some hesitation, trouble broke out in the East Stand. Bottles were thrown on the ground and chairs burnt. The awnings were set on fire in the North stand. Play went on for an hour while all this happened.
CCI was the first to introduce single wicket
cricket in India. This competition in 1965 was won by Vinoo Mankad. For three years after the termination of the Pentangular, Brabourne hosted an inter-zonal tournament which was revived later as the Duleep trophy. Until the 1960s when international matches were played at the Brabourne, the teams would stay at the CCI itself.
mostly owing to the disputes regarding the allotment of seats. On one instance, BCA even threatened to stage a Test at Shivaji Park
with temporary stands.
In 1971, BCA President S. K. Wankhede
was told by the then CCI President, Vijay Merchant
that they would be allotted no extra seats for the visit of England in 1972. CCI maintained that it spends a large amount in maintaining the ground and any further concessions would lead to substantial loss of revenue to the club. BCA went ahead and constructed a new stadium. The new Wankhede Stadium
hosted its first Test match early in 1975 during the tour of West Indies. Since then, except for a few Duleep Trophy
matches, Brabourne staged few major matches for about two decades.
and Mohammed Azharuddin played for a CCI XI and Wasim Akram
, Imran Khan
, Rameez Raja
and Mudassar Nazar
among others turned out for Pakistan. Due to shortage of players for Pakistan, Sachin Tendulkar
, then just 14 fielded for Pakistan as a substitute. This was Tendulkars first international cricket exposure. CCI rules had to be amended to allow the 14 year old Sachin Tendulkar into the dressing room. Raj Singh Dungarpur
, president of the club for several years was instrumental in the decision to change this rule.
International cricket returned to Brabourne in 1989 when Australia
played a One Day International (ODI) against Pakistan during the MRF World Series for the Jawaharlal Nehru Cup
. In 1993, South Africa
took on West Indies in a Hero Cup
ODI game where Jonty Rhodes
took a world record five catches. Rhodes later recollected more than 20,000 people cheering him during this match, something which was rare for him in a foreign country. Chris Cairns allegedly drunk jumped into the CCI swimming pool a day before the deciding sixth ODI between India
and New Zealand
in 1995. He was dropped by coach Glenn Turner
for the match, which was the series decider. India won the game and with it the series, with New Zealand scoring their lowest ODI total against India of 126.
in 1997–98 was noted for Sachin Tendulkar
's first double hundred in first-class cricket. Mumbai won the game, becoming only the third Indian domestic team to beat an international team in a 3 day game. In 2000, several Test level Indian players turned out for a Board Presidents XI in a three day warm up game against the touring South Africans. The match is remembered for Sachin Tendulkar announcing his resignation from the post of Captain of the Indian team at the press box. In 2006, the CCI Presidents XI played an unofficial three day game with the visiting England
team.
of the 2006 Champions trophy
. Floodlights were installed at the stadium for this tournament. Raj Singh Dungarpur, then president of the CCI said "... We are turning a page and it was long awaited. It is like getting married again.". Australia
beat West Indies in the finals to claim the title for the first time. The game was hampered by rain and was decided by the Duckworth-Lewis system. The pitch used for the matches faced criticism for being too slow for one-day cricket. West Indian Jerome Taylor
took a hat-trick against Australia in a group match. This was the first hat-trick at this stadium, the first by a West Indian in ODI's and the first in an ICC Champions Trophy.
Brabourne Stadium hosted the first Twenty20 International
on Indian soil, when India beat Australia in a one off game in October 2007.
underwent renovation between 2008 and Brabourne hosted the first-class matches in Mumbai during that period. It was scheduled to host a Test match (BCCI's and CCI's Platinum Jubilee Test) against England in December 2008 but the match was switched to the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium
in Mohali
following the 2008 Mumbai attacks
. Though the Test match took place at Mohali, Platinum Jubilee celebrations were shelved.
The stadium did finally host another Test match in 2009. After a gap of 36 years, 9 months and 21 days – the longest gap between two successive Tests at any international stadium – Brabourne Stadium hosted a Test match between India and Sri Lanka. Virender Sehwag
scored a double century (293), but missed out on becoming the first person to score three triple centuries in Test cricket. India made their highest Test score of 726 for 9 and won the match by an innings. As a result of this win, India topped the ICC Test Championship
for the first time. On the first day of the Test, the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan
released a book commemorating 75 years of cricket at the CCI.
(IPL) in 2008 as it was unwilling to let go of the right of its members to access the pavilion on match days.
As per IPL rules, the winner of the previous competition decides the venue for the finals. In 2009, the reigning Champions, Rajasthan Royals
chose the Brabourne Stadium to host the finals of the second season. However, a dispute regarding use of the pavilion meant that no IPL matches could be held there. The members of the Cricket Club of India
that owns the stadium have the sole right to the pavilion on match days, whereas the IPL required the pavilion for its sponsors. The members were offered free seats in the stands, however the club rejected the offer, stating that members could not be moved out of the pavilion. In the end the second season was moved out of India and held in South Africa
due to security concerns.
These issues were sorted out in 2010 and the Braboune Stadium did hold seven home matches of the Mumbai Indians
in IPL 2010 (third season). The Mumbai Police
charged a then record Rs. 98 Lakh
(9.8 million) for providing security for these matches.
One Day International match, again between India and New Zealand in 2003. In 1995 it was the venue for the Masters cup tournament played by veteran cricketers representing India, Sri Lanka, Australia, West Indies, South Africa and England. Although the stadium has not hosted a World Cup
match, it has been used as a practice venue during the 2011 Cricket World Cup
.
In 1946, leader of Ismaili Muslims, Aga Khan
was weighed in diamonds at the stadium, the diamonds were then were donated to charity. Then Russian Communist Party
chief, Nikita Khrushchev
delivered a speech in front of a crowd of approximately between 75,000 and 100,000 people at the ground in 1955. In November 1971 a concert was organised at the stadium by the Bangladesh Aid Committee in support of the Bangladesh Liberation War
. A performance by 700 dancers and thousands of musicians was witnessed by Pope John Paul II
on his visit to the country in 1986. The performance interpreted religious themes through Indian dance. The Brabourne hosted the 26th International Film Festival of India
in 1995. The stadium has played host to a few Music bands. In 1994, Bryan Adams
performed here, which was his first concert in India. The Zubin Mehta
led Israel Philharmonic orchestra performed four concerts at the Brabourne in 1994, each with a capacity crowd of 15,000. The Rolling Stones
performed at the stadium during their Licks Tour
on 7 April 2003 in front of a sell out crowd of 25,000 people. Some Indian artists, such as Jagjit Singh and Lata Mangeshkar
have also performed here. Brabourne was the second venue of the Filmfare Awards
night. Awwal Number
, a bollywood
movie starring Aamir Khan
and directed by Dev Anand
was shot here in the late 1980s.
The stadium hosted its first international tennis
fixture in 1963, a Davis Cup
tie when India lost to United States of America. Brabourne next hosted a Davis Cup match 43 years later in April 2006, an Asia-Oceania second round Group I tennis match where India
beat Pakistan
.
An ATP Tour tournament, Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open
was held at the Cricket Club of India
tennis courts next to the stadium in 2006 and 2007.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n city of Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. It is located on 90,000 square yards of reclaimed land along Marine Drive
Marine Drive
Marine Drive is a 3-kilometre-long boulevard in South Mumbai in the city of Mumbai. It is a 'C'-shaped six-lane concrete road along the coast, which is a natural bay. The road links Nariman Point to Babulnath and Malabar Hill. Marine Drive is situated over reclaimed land facing west-south-west...
near Churchgate railway station
Churchgate railway station
Churchgate is a terminus station on the Western Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. It is located in Churchgate in South Mumbai....
in South Mumbai
South Mumbai
South Mumbai , sometimes incorrectly referred to by English Media as "SoBo" , the southern-most precinct of the city of Mumbai, India, comprises the city's main business localities and its adjoining areas...
. The stadium is owned by the Cricket Club of India
Cricket Club of India
Cricket Club of India is located on Dinsha Wacha Road, near Churchgate in Mumbai, India. It is one of the oldest and most well known cricket clubs in India...
(CCI). Brabourne Stadium is India's first permanent sporting (and cricket) venue. The North Stand of the Brabourne also housed the Board of Control for Cricket in India
Board of Control for Cricket in India
The Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered at Mumbai, is the national governing body for all cricket in India. It's not the apex governing body in India. The board was formed in December 1928 as BCCI replaced Calcutta Cricket Club. BCCI is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu...
(BCCI) headquarters and the 1983 Cricket World Cup
1983 Cricket World Cup
The 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup was the third edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament. It was held from 9 June to 25 June 1983 in England and was won by India. Eight countries participated in the event. The preliminary matches were played in two groups of four teams each, and each...
trophy until 2006 when both were moved to the newly built Cricket Centre at the nearby Wankhede Stadium
Wankhede Stadium
The Sheshrao Krushnarao Wankhede Stadium is a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Mumbai. This ground was built after disputes between the Cricket Club of India, which owns the Brabourne Stadium, and the Mumbai Cricket Association over the allocation of tickets for cricket matches...
.
Brabourne Stadium hosted Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
from 1948 to 1972, and also the Bombay Pentangular
Bombay Quadrangular
The Bombay Quadrangular was an influential cricket tournament held in Bombay, India from 1912 to 1936. At other times it was known variously as the Presidency Match, Bombay Triangular, and the Bombay Pentangular....
matches. The stadium was known to host crowds beyond capacity. CCI members get to watch all matches from the members only clubhouse free of cost as per the their rights enshrined in the clubs constitution. After disputes over ticketing arrangements with CCI, the Mumbai Cricket Association
Mumbai Cricket Association
The Mumbai cricket Association or MCA is the governing body for cricket in Mumbai and its surrounding regions like Thane and Navi Mumbai. The association comes under west zone .The Association was established in 1930 and has a sound ConstitutionThe Mumbai cricket team is the team for The Mumbai...
(MCA) built the Wankhede Stadium
Wankhede Stadium
The Sheshrao Krushnarao Wankhede Stadium is a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Mumbai. This ground was built after disputes between the Cricket Club of India, which owns the Brabourne Stadium, and the Mumbai Cricket Association over the allocation of tickets for cricket matches...
, a few hundred metres north of Brabourne. After Wankhede was built, Brabourne was no longer the venue for Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
although visiting teams played a few first-class matches
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
there.
On 2 December 2009, Brabourne hosted the third Test match of the series between India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
. This was the longest interval between hosting of two successive Tests at the same venue – a period of 36 years, 9 months and 21 days.
Founding
The CCI was incorporated as a company on 8 November 1933, during the MCC'sMarylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
1933–34 tour of India, with its registered office in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. R. E. Grant Govan
R. E. Grant Govan
R.E. Grant Govan, CBE was a Delhi based British industrialist. He was the Managing Director of Govan Bros. Ltd., a leading business house of the time. The company was managing agents for a number of industrial enterprises...
, the President of the BCCI, became the first President of the club. Anthony de Mello
Anthony de Mello (cricket administrator)
Anthony Stanislaus de Mello was an Indian cricket administrator and one of the founders of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.-Background:...
, the Secretary of BCCI from its inception until 1937, also served the secretary of CCI from 1933 to 1937.
The negotiations for the land for the new cricket stadium took place between de Mello and the Bombay governor Lord Brabourne
Michael Knatchbull, 5th Baron Brabourne
Michael Herbert Rudolf Knatchbull, 5th Baron Brabourne, GCSI, GCIE, MC was a British peer and soldier, the son of the 4th Baron Brabourne....
. The popular story goes that before returning at the end of the meeting, de Mello asked Lord Brabourne : 'Your excellency, which would you prefer to accept from sportsmen, money for your Government, or immortality for yourself?'. Brabourne chose immortality and CCI was soon allotted 90,000 square yards at a price of Rs. 13.50 per square yard from land reclaimed in the Backbay reclamation scheme. Messrs. Gregson, Batley and King were appointed the architects of the stadium, Shapoorji Pallonji & co
Pallonji Mistry
Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry is an Irish-Parsi construction tycoon. According to Forbes, his wealth is estimated to be US$8.8 billion as of 2011. He is the richest person of Parsi descent followed by Adi Godrej at US$7.3 Billion . With his 18.5% stake in Tata Sons, he is the single largest...
were awarded the contract for construction and Frank Tarrant
Frank Tarrant
Frank Tarrant Frank Tarrant Frank Tarrant (in full Francis Alfred Tarrant (Melbourne, Australia, 11 December 1880 – 29 January 1951 in Melbourne) was an Australian all-rounder who played with great success for Middlesex in the County Championship in the years before World War I.His record is...
was the first groundsman. The intention of the stadium design was such that it be the Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
of India.
The foundation stone was laid by Lord Brabourne on 22 May 1936. The ground was intended to provide covered accommodation for 35,000 spectators and contain pavilion, tennis courts and a swimming pool. The first match was played in the incomplete stadium in October 1937 between the CCI and the Spencer Cup XI. The stadium was opened on 7 December 1937 by Roger Lumley
Lawrence Lumley, 11th Earl of Scarbrough
Roger Lumley, 11th Earl of Scarbrough, KG, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, PC, DL TD was a British Conservative statesman....
, the Governor of Bombay, Lord Brabourne being now the Governor of Bengal. The stadium was named after Brabourne at the suggestion of the Maharaja of Patiala
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, GBE was the ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Patiala from 1900 to 1938.- Biography :...
. On the same day, CCI met the visiting Lord Tennyson's XI in the inaugural first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
match in the stadium.
The estimated cost of construction was Rs. 18 lakhs (1.8 million) but the actual costs exceeded this by over a third. It took the efforts of people like Abubhai Jasdenwala
Abubhai Jasdenwala
Abubhai Adamji Jasdenwala was a businessman and cricket administrator.Jasdenwala was educated at the Bharda New High School and St. Xavier's College in Bombay. He was part of the committee that mooted the idea of the BCCI. He was the Vice President , President and Hon...
who had succeeded de Mello as the secretary in 1937 and Sir Nowroji Saklatwala
Nowroji Saklatwala
Nowroji Saklatwala was the only non-Tata chairman of the Tata group from 1932 till his sudden death due to heart attack. He was also a cricket player and represented the Parsees against the Europeans in 1904.-References:...
, the head of the Tatas for a few years for the CCI to cover the costs. The Maharaja of Idar paid for the Governor's pavilion and Maharaja of Patiala for the pavilion that was named after him. The deficits were paid off from the sale of debentures and from the income from the Bombay Pentangular matches.
Architecture
The stadium has a pavilion and three public stands, the West Stand, North Stand and East Stand. The three public stand face the clubhouse from three different sides of the stadium and are sheltered by cavernous, overhanging roofs.The pavilion can be divided into the clubhouse in the centre with the Governors Pavilion and Maharaja of Patiala Pavilion on either side and is a three story art deco nautical structure with rounded pediments, flagpoles and port-hole type windows. The pavilion boasts of dark wood wall panellin and decorative marble floors. The walls of the pavilion are adorned by portraits of past and present cricketers and famous cricket matches.
The Brabourne Stadium has drawn praise from various quarters. Australian cricketer Keith Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
called the ground "the most complete ground in the world". According to West Indian legend Frank Worrell
Frank Worrell
Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell is sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae and was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator...
, the Brabourne was the only ground in the world where the could be in his dressing gown until he had to pad up, hence he loved playing at the venue. According to Worrell's compatriot, Brian Lara
Brian Lara
Brian Charles Lara, TC, OCC, AM is a former West Indian international cricket player. Lara is generally regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time...
, ‘‘It is one of the most beautiful venues across the world. Perfect to host a good cricket match.’’ For Indian captain, M. S. Dhoni, "... Of course, it is special to play at CCI. ... It has a nice atmosphere." Noted Journalist and Chairman of the Mid Day group, Khalid A. H. Ansari writes in his newspaper, "Having witnessed cricket the world over, I can confidently say that cricket at the alluring Brabourne Stadium is an experience without parallel."
Cricket matches
The first match to be played here was between Lord Tennyson's XI and a CCI XI in 1937.With the completion of the stadium in 1937, the Bombay Pentangular
Bombay Quadrangular
The Bombay Quadrangular was an influential cricket tournament held in Bombay, India from 1912 to 1936. At other times it was known variously as the Presidency Match, Bombay Triangular, and the Bombay Pentangular....
tournament was moved from the Bombay Gymkhana
Bombay Gymkhana
Bombay Gymkhana ,, established in 1875, is one of the premiere gymkhanas in the city of Mumbai, India. It is located in the South Mumbai area and was originally built as a British-only club, designed by English architect, Claude Batley. The Gymkhana Grounds lie in the southern end of the Azad Maidan...
. It was in this year that the Rest entered the competition as the fifth team. Hindus, however, withdrew their team after a dispute over the seating allocation. The battle between Vijay Merchant
Vijay Merchant
Vijaysingh Madhavji Merchant , real name Vijay Madhavji Thakersey was an Indian cricketer. A right-hand batter and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, Merchant played first class cricket for Mumbai cricket team as well as 10 Test matches for India between 1929 and 1951...
and Vijay Hazare
Vijay Hazare
Vijay Samuel Hazare was an Indian cricket player from the state of Maharashtra. He captained the Indian cricket team in 14 matches between 1951 and 1953...
in 1943–44 saw the record for the highest individual score being bettered three times in the first week of December ending with Hazare's 309 out of Rest's 387 all out in the final. In the Ranji match against Maharashtra
Maharashtra cricket team
The Maharashtra cricket team is a domestic cricket team based in the Indian state of Maharashtra in the city of Pune. It is in the Plate Group of the Ranji Trophy...
that began on the last day of the year, Merchant improved upon it with an innings of 359 not out which still stands as the highest score made on the ground. In the 1944–45 final of the Pentangular, Muslims chased 298 to defeat the Hindus by one wicket. The Pentangular tournament was discontinued after the 1946–47 season .
Brabourne hosted seventeen Test matches, starting with two against West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
in India's first home series after the war in 1948–49. The first test to produce a result at the Brabourne was the fourth it hosted, when India beat Pakistan in 1952. India won their first ever test series after taking a 2–1 lead on the basis of this victory. Vijay Hazare scored a hundred in each of his four appearances. Indian batsman Abbas Ali Baig
Abbas Ali Baig
Abbas Ali Baig is a former Indian cricketer who played in 10 Tests from 1959 to 1966.He was named one of Indian Cricket 's five Cricketers of the Year for 1959/60....
became the first Indian cricketer to be kissed on a cricket field during third Test between India and Australia at the Brabourne in 1960. When Baig reached the fifty run mark, a young woman ran onto the stadium from the North Stand and kissed him on his cheek. 16 Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
finals and a Plate final were played at the stadium between 1938 and 2011. Bombay figured in fourteen of these and won on each occasion. Among the other notable innings played at the ground are Denis Compton
Denis Compton
Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE was an English cricketer who played in 78 Test matches, and a footballer...
's 249* for Holkar in the 1944–45 final and Ajit Wadekar
Ajit Wadekar
Ajit Laxman Wadekar is a former international cricketer. He played domestic first-class cricket for the Mumbai cricket team....
's triple century in 1966–67 against Chandrasekhar
Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
Bhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar is a former Indian cricketer who specialised in leg spin. Considered amongst the top echelon of leg-spinners, Chandrasekhar along with E.A.S. Prasanna, Bishen Singh Bedi and Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan constituted the Indian spin quartet that dominated...
and Prasanna.
The one serious instance of crowd trouble at the stadium happened in the final session of the fourth day of the Test match between India and Australia. With India in desperate trouble in the second innings Wadekar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan were involved in a partnership of 25 for the eighth wicket when the latter was declared out caught behind off the bowling of Alan Connolly
Alan Connolly
Alan Norman Connolly is a former Australian cricketer who played in 29 Tests and one ODI from 1963 to 1971. Connolly had been a fast bowler in his youth, but slowed his pace to increase his accuracy and became a reliable support bowler in partnership with Garth McKenzie...
. The decision was criticised by the radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
commentators, and as Venkat left the wicket after some hesitation, trouble broke out in the East Stand. Bottles were thrown on the ground and chairs burnt. The awnings were set on fire in the North stand. Play went on for an hour while all this happened.
CCI was the first to introduce single wicket
Single Wicket
Single wicket cricket is a form of cricket played between two individuals, who take turns to bat and bowl against each other. The one bowling is assisted by a team of fielders, who remain as fielders at the change of innings. The winner is the one who scores more runs...
cricket in India. This competition in 1965 was won by Vinoo Mankad. For three years after the termination of the Pentangular, Brabourne hosted an inter-zonal tournament which was revived later as the Duleep trophy. Until the 1960s when international matches were played at the Brabourne, the teams would stay at the CCI itself.
Decline
Ever since the Brabourne Stadium was constructed, CCI had a rough relationship with their tenants the Bombay Cricket Association (BCA)Mumbai cricket team
The Mumbai cricket team is a cricket team representing the city of Mumbai in Indian domestic cricket. It is the most successful team in the Ranji Trophy, India's top domestic cricket competition, with 39 titles, the most recent being in 2009–10. The team's home ground is the Wankhede Stadium in...
mostly owing to the disputes regarding the allotment of seats. On one instance, BCA even threatened to stage a Test at Shivaji Park
Shivaji Park
Shivaji Park is the largest park in Mumbai. It is situated in the Dadar area of Mumbai. Like the Azad Maidan and August Kranti Maidan , it is of historical and cultural value because of the political and social gatherings it has witnessed, both in pre- and post-independence Mumbai.-Geography:The...
with temporary stands.
In 1971, BCA President S. K. Wankhede
S. K. Wankhede
Seshrao Krishnarao Wankhede was a cricket administrator and politician.Wankhede had his early college education in Nagpur and entered the bar in England. On his return, he started practice in Nagpur...
was told by the then CCI President, Vijay Merchant
Vijay Merchant
Vijaysingh Madhavji Merchant , real name Vijay Madhavji Thakersey was an Indian cricketer. A right-hand batter and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, Merchant played first class cricket for Mumbai cricket team as well as 10 Test matches for India between 1929 and 1951...
that they would be allotted no extra seats for the visit of England in 1972. CCI maintained that it spends a large amount in maintaining the ground and any further concessions would lead to substantial loss of revenue to the club. BCA went ahead and constructed a new stadium. The new Wankhede Stadium
Wankhede Stadium
The Sheshrao Krushnarao Wankhede Stadium is a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Mumbai. This ground was built after disputes between the Cricket Club of India, which owns the Brabourne Stadium, and the Mumbai Cricket Association over the allocation of tickets for cricket matches...
hosted its first Test match early in 1975 during the tour of West Indies. Since then, except for a few Duleep Trophy
Duleep Trophy
The Duleep Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India between teams representing geographical zones of India. The competition is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji .-History:...
matches, Brabourne staged few major matches for about two decades.
Golden Jubilee Celebrations
Festival matches were played at the stadium to celebrate the golden jubilee of the CCI in 1987–88. Players such as Roger BinnyRoger Binny
Roger Michael Humphrey Binny is an Indian former cricket all-rounder who is best known for his impressive bowling performance in the 1983 Cricket World Cup where he was the highest wicket-taker , and in the 1985 World Series Cricket Championship in Australia where he repeated this feat .Binny...
and Mohammed Azharuddin played for a CCI XI and Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is a former Pakistani left arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman in cricketer and model. who represented the Pakistan national cricket team in Test cricket and One Day International matches....
, Imran Khan
Imran Khan
Imran Khan Niazi is a Pakistani politician and former Pakistani cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics...
, Rameez Raja
Rameez Raja
Rameez Hasan Raja is a former Pakistani right handed batsman in cricket, who represented the Pakistan cricket team during the 1980s and 1990s. He also worked as captain of the national team...
and Mudassar Nazar
Mudassar Nazar
Mudassar Nazar is a former Pakistani cricketer with a career in Test cricket for Pakistan and in league cricket in Pakistan and England...
among others turned out for Pakistan. Due to shortage of players for Pakistan, Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
, then just 14 fielded for Pakistan as a substitute. This was Tendulkars first international cricket exposure. CCI rules had to be amended to allow the 14 year old Sachin Tendulkar into the dressing room. Raj Singh Dungarpur
Raj Singh Dungarpur
Raj Singh Dungarpur was a former president of Board of Control for Cricket in India. He played first class cricket for 16 years and was in and out of the Board of Control for more than 20 years. He was a selector of the national team for two terms...
, president of the club for several years was instrumental in the decision to change this rule.
One Day Internationals
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
played a One Day International (ODI) against Pakistan during the MRF World Series for the Jawaharlal Nehru Cup
Nehru Cup (cricket)
The MRF World Series for the Jawaharlal Nehru Cup was a cricket tournament held in India to celebrate 100th anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister's birth....
. In 1993, South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
took on West Indies in a Hero Cup
Hero Cup
The Hero Cup was an International Cricket tournament played in India in 1993 to commemorate the Cricket Association of Bengal's diamond jubilee. India, Sri Lanka, West Indies, South Africa and Zimbabwe took part in the multi-nation tournament. India beat West Indies in the finals of the tournament...
ODI game where Jonty Rhodes
Jonty Rhodes
Jonathan Neil "Jonty" Rhodes is a former South African Test and One Day International cricketer who played for the South African cricket team between 1992 and 2003.Rhodes was born in Pietermaritzburg, Natal Province, South Africa...
took a world record five catches. Rhodes later recollected more than 20,000 people cheering him during this match, something which was rare for him in a foreign country. Chris Cairns allegedly drunk jumped into the CCI swimming pool a day before the deciding sixth ODI between India
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
and New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
in 1995. He was dropped by coach Glenn Turner
Glenn Turner
Glenn Maitland Turner played cricket for New Zealand and was one of the country's best and most prolific batsmen. He is the current head of the New Zealand Cricket selection panel....
for the match, which was the series decider. India won the game and with it the series, with New Zealand scoring their lowest ODI total against India of 126.
Tour games
In recent years, many of the teams visiting India have started their tour with a match at the Brabourne. The match Australia and MumbaiMumbai cricket team
The Mumbai cricket team is a cricket team representing the city of Mumbai in Indian domestic cricket. It is the most successful team in the Ranji Trophy, India's top domestic cricket competition, with 39 titles, the most recent being in 2009–10. The team's home ground is the Wankhede Stadium in...
in 1997–98 was noted for Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
's first double hundred in first-class cricket. Mumbai won the game, becoming only the third Indian domestic team to beat an international team in a 3 day game. In 2000, several Test level Indian players turned out for a Board Presidents XI in a three day warm up game against the touring South Africans. The match is remembered for Sachin Tendulkar announcing his resignation from the post of Captain of the Indian team at the press box. In 2006, the CCI Presidents XI played an unofficial three day game with the visiting England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
team.
2006 ICC Champions Trophy and first T20I
International cricket returned to the stadium after a 11 year hiatus in 2006 for which the stadium was renovated. Brabourne Stadium hosted the five ODI matches including the final2006 ICC Champions Trophy Final
The final of the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy was played on 5 November 2006 at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. -Road to the Final:Australia reached the final by defeating New Zealand in the semis while West Indies reached the finals by defeating South Africa....
of the 2006 Champions trophy
2006 ICC Champions Trophy
The 2006 ICC Champions Trophy was a One Day International cricket tournament held in India from 7 October to 5 November 2006. It was the fifth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy...
. Floodlights were installed at the stadium for this tournament. Raj Singh Dungarpur, then president of the CCI said "... We are turning a page and it was long awaited. It is like getting married again.". Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
beat West Indies in the finals to claim the title for the first time. The game was hampered by rain and was decided by the Duckworth-Lewis system. The pitch used for the matches faced criticism for being too slow for one-day cricket. West Indian Jerome Taylor
Jerome Taylor
Jerome Everton Taylor is a Jamaican born West Indian cricketer. He led the fast bowling attack comprising Dwayne Bravo, Daren Powell and Ian Bradshaw at the World Cup...
took a hat-trick against Australia in a group match. This was the first hat-trick at this stadium, the first by a West Indian in ODI's and the first in an ICC Champions Trophy.
Brabourne Stadium hosted the first Twenty20 International
Twenty20 International
A Twenty20 International is a form of cricket which is played over 20 overs per side between two national cricket teams. The game is played under the rules of Twenty20 cricket...
on Indian soil, when India beat Australia in a one off game in October 2007.
Platinum Jubilee Test
The Wankhede StadiumWankhede Stadium
The Sheshrao Krushnarao Wankhede Stadium is a cricket stadium in the Indian city of Mumbai. This ground was built after disputes between the Cricket Club of India, which owns the Brabourne Stadium, and the Mumbai Cricket Association over the allocation of tickets for cricket matches...
underwent renovation between 2008 and Brabourne hosted the first-class matches in Mumbai during that period. It was scheduled to host a Test match (BCCI's and CCI's Platinum Jubilee Test) against England in December 2008 but the match was switched to the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium
Punjab Cricket Association Stadium
The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium is located at Mohali, just outside the city of Chandigarh. It is popularly referred to as the Mohali Stadium. The stadium is home to the Punjab team. Punjab's second international cricket stadium has been approved by BCCI in Bathinda, Punjab. The...
in Mohali
Mohali
Mohali is a city adjacent to Chandigarh, 18th District in Punjab, India. It is officially named after the eldest son of Guru Gobind Singh, Sahibzada Ajit Singh . It, along with Chandigarh and Panchkula, form a part of the Chandigarh Tricity...
following the 2008 Mumbai attacks
2008 Mumbai attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were more than 10 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai, India's largest city, by Islamist attackers who came from Pakistan...
. Though the Test match took place at Mohali, Platinum Jubilee celebrations were shelved.
The stadium did finally host another Test match in 2009. After a gap of 36 years, 9 months and 21 days – the longest gap between two successive Tests at any international stadium – Brabourne Stadium hosted a Test match between India and Sri Lanka. Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag , affectionately known as Viru, the Nawab of Najafgarh, or the Zen master of modern cricket, is one of the leading batsmen in the Indian cricket team. Sehwag is an aggressive right-handed opening batsman and a part-time right-arm off-spin bowler...
scored a double century (293), but missed out on becoming the first person to score three triple centuries in Test cricket. India made their highest Test score of 726 for 9 and won the match by an innings. As a result of this win, India topped the ICC Test Championship
ICC Test Championship
The ICC Test Championship is an international competition run by the International Cricket Council in the sport of cricket for the 10 teams that play Test cricket...
for the first time. On the first day of the Test, the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan
Ashok Chavan
Ashok Shankarrao Chavan was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Chavan was sworn in on 8 December 2008, after his political party, the Indian National Congress and Vilasrao Deshmukh selected him to be Vilasrao Deshmukh's successor on 5 December 2008. He earlier served as Minister for Cultural...
released a book commemorating 75 years of cricket at the CCI.
IPL
CCI chose not to host the first season of the Indian Premier LeagueIndian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
(IPL) in 2008 as it was unwilling to let go of the right of its members to access the pavilion on match days.
As per IPL rules, the winner of the previous competition decides the venue for the finals. In 2009, the reigning Champions, Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals is an Indian Premier League franchise based on the city of the Jaipur captained and coached by former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.They were the champions of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League...
chose the Brabourne Stadium to host the finals of the second season. However, a dispute regarding use of the pavilion meant that no IPL matches could be held there. The members of the Cricket Club of India
Cricket Club of India
Cricket Club of India is located on Dinsha Wacha Road, near Churchgate in Mumbai, India. It is one of the oldest and most well known cricket clubs in India...
that owns the stadium have the sole right to the pavilion on match days, whereas the IPL required the pavilion for its sponsors. The members were offered free seats in the stands, however the club rejected the offer, stating that members could not be moved out of the pavilion. In the end the second season was moved out of India and held in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
due to security concerns.
These issues were sorted out in 2010 and the Braboune Stadium did hold seven home matches of the Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians , is a franchise cricket team representing Mumbai in the Indian Premier League. The team is one of the eight founding members of the IPL in 2008. Mumbai Indians are currently led by Sachin Tendulkar, who is the Icon Player for the team and is coached by Robin Singh...
in IPL 2010 (third season). The Mumbai Police
Mumbai Police
The Mumbai Police is the police force of the city of Mumbai, India. It has the primary responsibilities of law enforcement and investigation within the limits of Mumbai. The department's motto is ""...
charged a then record Rs. 98 Lakh
Lakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
(9.8 million) for providing security for these matches.
Other activities
The stadium has staged one under 19 Test match in 1992 when India played New Zealand as well as one Women's cricketWomen's cricket
Women's cricket is the form of the team sport of cricket that is played by women.-History:The first recorded match of women's cricket was reported in The Reading Mercury on 26 July 1745, a match contested "between eleven maids of Bramley and eleven maids of Hambledon, all dressed in white." The...
One Day International match, again between India and New Zealand in 2003. In 1995 it was the venue for the Masters cup tournament played by veteran cricketers representing India, Sri Lanka, Australia, West Indies, South Africa and England. Although the stadium has not hosted a World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
match, it has been used as a practice venue during the 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
.
In 1946, leader of Ismaili Muslims, Aga Khan
Aga Khan
Aga Khan is the hereditary title of the Imam of the largest branch of the Ismā'īlī followers of the Shī‘a faith. They affirm the Imamat of the descendants of Ismail ibn Jafar, eldest son of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, while the larger Twelver branch of Shi`ism follows Ismail's younger brother Musa...
was weighed in diamonds at the stadium, the diamonds were then were donated to charity. Then Russian Communist Party
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
chief, Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
delivered a speech in front of a crowd of approximately between 75,000 and 100,000 people at the ground in 1955. In November 1971 a concert was organised at the stadium by the Bangladesh Aid Committee in support of the Bangladesh Liberation War
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
. A performance by 700 dancers and thousands of musicians was witnessed by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on his visit to the country in 1986. The performance interpreted religious themes through Indian dance. The Brabourne hosted the 26th International Film Festival of India
International Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India , founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually in the beach town of Goa, in the Western Coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of...
in 1995. The stadium has played host to a few Music bands. In 1994, Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
performed here, which was his first concert in India. The Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
led Israel Philharmonic orchestra performed four concerts at the Brabourne in 1994, each with a capacity crowd of 15,000. The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
performed at the stadium during their Licks Tour
Licks Tour
The Licks Tour was a lengthy, worldwide concert tour held during 2002 and 2003 by The Rolling Stones. Its start was somewhat concurrent with the compilation album Forty Licks, which was released on October 1, 2002....
on 7 April 2003 in front of a sell out crowd of 25,000 people. Some Indian artists, such as Jagjit Singh and Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
have also performed here. Brabourne was the second venue of the Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
night. Awwal Number
Awwal Number
Awwal Number is a 1990 film directed by Dev Anand. The film features the then 67 year old Dev Anand himself with Aamir Khan.-Plot:The story revolves around cricket where a new star Sunny has been included in the team in place of another famous star Ronny . All this creates hatred in heart of Ronny...
, a bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
movie starring Aamir Khan
Aamir Khan
Aamir Hussain Khan is an Indian film actor, director and producer who has established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema....
and directed by Dev Anand
Dev Anand
Dharam Dev Anand , better known as Dev Anand , is an Indian Hindi Cinema actor, director and film producer. Dev is the second of three brothers who were active in Hindi Cinema. His brothers are Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. Their sister, Sheel Kanta Kapur, is the mother of renowned Hindi and...
was shot here in the late 1980s.
The stadium hosted its first international tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
fixture in 1963, a Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
tie when India lost to United States of America. Brabourne next hosted a Davis Cup match 43 years later in April 2006, an Asia-Oceania second round Group I tennis match where India
India Davis Cup team
The India Davis Cup team represents India in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the All India Tennis Association.India finished as runners-up 3 times . In 1974, the final was scratched and South Africa were awarded the Davis Cup after India refused to particapate in the final due to...
beat Pakistan
Pakistan Davis Cup team
The Pakistan Davis Cup team represents Pakistan in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Pakistan Tennis Federation.Pakistan currently compete in the Asia/Oceania Zone of Group II...
.
An ATP Tour tournament, Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open
Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open
The Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open was a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was part of the International Series of the ATP Tour...
was held at the Cricket Club of India
Cricket Club of India
Cricket Club of India is located on Dinsha Wacha Road, near Churchgate in Mumbai, India. It is one of the oldest and most well known cricket clubs in India...
tennis courts next to the stadium in 2006 and 2007.