Holkar Stadium history connects a 1926 cricket ground, MPCA’s late-1990s stadium development, the 2006 ODI debut and Indore’s later rise as a Test, T20I and women’s international venue.
The venue on Race Course Road was first known as Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground. Its present identity grew in stages: the Holkar connection came first, MPCA developed the modern stadium decades later, and international recognition followed through separate ODI, Test, T20I and women’s cricket milestones.
The original Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground was established as part of Yeshwant Club under Maharaja Tukojirao Rao Holkar III. That foundation linked the site to the Holkar dynasty’s patronage of sport and to the cricket culture that later produced a celebrated state side.
MPCA began turning the central Indore ground into a modern stadium in 1998–99, and the venue was ready for major cricket by the mid-2000s. On 15 April 2006, England made 288 in the first ODI here. India replied with 289/3 to win by seven wickets; Sreesanth’s 6/55 earned Player of the Match.
In 2010, MPCA renamed the venue after the Holkar dynasty. The stadium’s internal names also became a record of Indian and Madhya Pradesh cricket: in 2011, a pavilion was named for Syed Mushtaq Ali, while C. K. Nayudu and other national and regional figures were honoured around the ground.
India’s first Test at Indore ended in a 321-run win over New Zealand. Virat Kohli scored 211, Ajinkya Rahane made 188, and Ravichandran Ashwin took 6/81 and 7/59. The match made Holkar Stadium India’s 22nd Test venue and confirmed its role beyond limited-overs cricket.
The first men’s T20I arrived on 22 December 2017, when Rohit Sharma’s 118 from 43 balls powered India to 260/5 and an 88-run win over Sri Lanka. In October 2025, Holkar Stadium hosted Women’s World Cup ODIs, extending the venue’s international story into women’s cricket.
The period also included the India–Australia Test of March 2023. After a BCCI appeal, the ICC revised that pitch rating from “poor” to “below average” and assigned one demerit point—an event-specific ruling, not a permanent verdict on every Indore surface.
Holkar Cricket Stadium is on Race Course Road, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 452003. Its central city setting has remained a defining part of the venue, from the older trust ground to the modern MPCA stadium.
