Guides to Kashi

Varanasi cricket stadium (Ganjari): opening date, first match, nameगंजारी स्टेडियम वाराणसी: उद्घाटन कब, नाम, क्षमता, कैसे पहुँचें

By Kashidwar · Updated 7 November 2026

Opening dateNot announced (7 Nov 2026) · 2 Dec reported
First match (expected)U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy, UP vs Puducherry, 3–6 Dec · venue not yet confirmed by BCCI
TicketsNo sale or price announced yet
Capacity30,000 spectators · day-night floodlights
WhereGanjari, Rajatalab · 19.8 km from Cantt station, 25 km from airport
NameNo official name yet

Varanasi's new international cricket stadium at Ganjari, in Rajatalab tehsil, is about 98% built, but as of 7 November 2026 it has no official opening date and no official name. Amar Ujala reports that 2 December is the date being mentioned for the inauguration, and a BCCI inspection is expected in the third week of November. The first matches planned there are two under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy games in December (the BCCI still lists their venue as 'to be confirmed'), and no tickets are on sale. Below: the latest on the opening, the first match and tickets, the name, the 30,000 capacity and Shiva-inspired design, and how to reach the ground, about 19.8 km from Varanasi Junction (Cantt).

Varanasi cricket stadium opening date: when is the inauguration?

Not officially confirmed — check before you travel

The inauguration date has not been officially announced as of 7 November 2026. On 3 November Amar Ujala reported that 2 December is the date being mentioned for the inauguration, and Navbharat (1 November) said the same date was under consideration, with the official announcement still awaited. Neither report says who will inaugurate it. Earlier targets have already passed: in September, Amar Ujala and Patrika reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to open the stadium in the second half of October, which did not happen.

Work is about 98% complete, according to both November reports; the damru-shaped structure and the approach roads were among the last items. The district administration has sent a progress report on the stadium to the Prime Minister's Office. Matches can be held only after the BCCI approves the ground: ICC chairman Jay Shah and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla are expected to inspect the pitch, the quality of play and the facilities for players and spectators in the third week of November (18–20 November, according to Navbharat).

This page will be updated as soon as an official date is announced.

Sources: [1] · [2] · [3] · [4] · [5]

Ganjari stadium first match and tickets

Not officially confirmed — check before you travel

The first official matches planned at Ganjari are two under-19 games in the BCCI's Cooch Behar Trophy (Elite), which the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) has allotted to the stadium, according to Amar Ujala and Patrika (29 September 2026): Uttar Pradesh vs Puducherry from 3 to 6 December 2026, and Uttar Pradesh vs Chhattisgarh from 11 to 14 December. The BCCI's fixture list has both matches on these dates, with play from 9:30 am IST, but as of 7 November it still shows the venue as 'tbc' (to be confirmed). Treat Ganjari as the expected venue, not a confirmed one, until the BCCI lists it.

No sale has opened, so treat any 'Ganjari stadium ticket' or 'VIP pass' offered now on Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp or Telegram as a scam.
Never pay an 'advance' to reserve a seat, or extra 'GST', 'verification' or 'refundable' charges; a booking ID or order confirmation does not prove a ticket is genuine.
Never share an OTP, UPI PIN or card details. If you have been cheated, call the cyber-crime helpline 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in straight away.

Bigger cricket is further off. The 2027 Women's Premier League (WPL) is scheduled from 14 January to 7 February 2027, and Varanasi has been reported as a possible venue if the stadium is fully ready by January; we found no announcement of WPL venues as of 7 November. We found no Ranji Trophy fixture for Ganjari, although a Ranji match was mentioned in September as a first test of the pitch, and no international or IPL match at the stadium has been announced.

Tickets: as of 7 November 2026 no ticket sale and no ticket price had been announced for any match at the stadium, and we found no word from UPCA on whether the under-19 matches will need tickets. When a sale opens, buy only from the seller named by the organisers (UPCA or the BCCI, or for WPL games the league itself); this section will be updated with the official link.

Sources: [3] · [4] · [6] · [7] · [5] · [17]

Varanasi stadium name: what is Ganjari stadium called?

Not officially confirmed — check before you travel

The stadium has no official name yet. The government's foundation-stone release calls it the International Cricket Stadium in Varanasi, the Kashi official web portal lists it as the Varanasi International Cricket Stadium, and locally it is known as Ganjari stadium, after the village where it stands. Navbharat reported on 1 November 2026 that four or five names were under discussion, none of them confirmed.

One proposal goes back to the foundation stone in September 2023, when local residents asked the Prime Minister to name the stadium after Lok Bandhu Raj Narain, who was born in Motikot Ganjari (Amar Ujala). In his foundation-stone speech the Prime Minister himself noted that the site is close to Motikot, the village Raj Narain came from. No decision has been announced; this page will be updated when it is.

Sources: [8] · [9] · [2] · [14]

Capacity and design: 30,000 seats and Shiva motifs

The stadium seats 30,000 spectators and has floodlights for day-night matches. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid its foundation stone on 23 September 2023. The project costs about ₹450 crore on about 30.6 acres: the Uttar Pradesh government acquired the land and is leasing it to the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association, which funds construction with BCCI support. Larsen & Toubro is building it under a design-and-build contract from UPCA.

The design is dedicated to Shiva. The four floodlight towers, each 65 metres tall, are shaped like a trishul (trident), the roof covers like a crescent moon, the stands step down like the ghats, and the metal sheets on the facade are shaped like bilva (bel) leaves. The media and broadcast centre in the north pavilion is a glass structure in the shape of a damru, Shiva's drum.

According to the project's management consultant, Egis, the main ground has nine pitches and a 65-yard boundary, with drainage designed to clear rain in under 30 minutes, and a separate practice ground has five more pitches. Half the seats (15,000) are covered, in two tiers, and the south pavilion holds the players' areas and 40 corporate boxes.

Sources: [8] · [9] · [10] · [11] · [3] · [12]

Where is the Varanasi cricket stadium? Ganjari, Rajatalab

The stadium stands outside Ganjari village in Rajatalab tehsil of Varanasi district, near Phase 2 of the Varanasi Ring Road. In his foundation-stone speech the Prime Minister described the site as lying at the crossing of the route to the Mata Vindhyavasini temple (Vindhyachal), close to Motikot village.

It is well outside the old city: about 19.8 km from Varanasi Junction (Cantt) station and about 25 km from Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Babatpur, according to Egis. Plan a match day as a separate outing from the ghats.

It is the first international cricket stadium in Purvanchal (eastern Uttar Pradesh). Varanasi's two older stadiums, the Dr Sampurnanand and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar sports stadiums, are about 15 acres each and run by the state sports department; neither is this ground.

Sources: [9] · [8] · [10] · [16] · [13] · [14] · [15]

How to reach Ganjari stadium

Come by car, taxi, app cab or auto-rickshaw: no shuttle bus or special match-day transport had been announced as of 7 November 2026. The stadium is reached from the GT Road and the Ring Road by four village roads, about 9 km in all: Mohansarai–Gangapur–Motikot, Lahartara–Kotwa–Korauat–Akelwa, Gangapur–Harsos, and a short link from Ring Road Phase 2 to Harsos. In February 2025 the Public Works Department proposed widening all four from single lane to two lanes; we have not seen a report that the widening is finished, and in November the approach roads were still among the pending works.

From Varanasi Junction (Cantt) the ground is about 19.8 km away; from the airport, about 25 km. If you are coming to Varanasi for a match, stay somewhere a car can reach, near Cantt or on a main road, rather than deep in the old-city lanes where vehicles cannot go.

The site is planned with parking for about 1,500 cars. Traffic diversions and parking arrangements for match days had not been published as of 7 November 2026; check notices from Varanasi police and the district administration before setting off, and leave early for the first big match. For getting to Varanasi itself, see our guides to reaching Varanasi and to flights.

Sources: [13] · [10] · [2]

Frequently asked questions

When is the Ganjari stadium inauguration (udghatan)?

No date has been officially announced as of 7 November 2026. Amar Ujala reported on 3 November that 2 December is the date being mentioned, and an inspection by ICC chairman Jay Shah and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla is expected in the third week of November. An earlier target of late October passed without an opening.

When is the first match at Ganjari stadium, Varanasi?

The first planned matches are under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy games: Uttar Pradesh vs Puducherry on 3–6 December 2026 and Uttar Pradesh vs Chhattisgarh on 11–14 December, allotted to Ganjari by UPCA according to Amar Ujala and Patrika. The BCCI fixture list still shows their venue as 'to be confirmed'.

What is the name of the Varanasi cricket stadium?

It has no official name yet. The Kashi official portal calls it the Varanasi International Cricket Stadium and locally it is called Ganjari stadium. Navbharat reported on 1 November 2026 that four or five names were under discussion, and residents have asked for it to be named after Lok Bandhu Raj Narain.

Where is the cricket stadium in Varanasi (kahan hai)?

At Ganjari village in Rajatalab tehsil, near Phase 2 of the Varanasi Ring Road, about 19.8 km from Varanasi Junction (Cantt) station and about 25 km from the airport at Babatpur.

What is the capacity of Ganjari stadium?

30,000 spectators, half of them (15,000) in covered seats. It has floodlights for day-night matches.

How do I buy Ganjari stadium tickets, and what is the ticket price?

Not yet: no ticket sale or price had been announced for any match as of 7 November 2026. When sales open, buy only from the seller named by UPCA, the BCCI or, for WPL games, the league, and ignore ticket offers on social media or WhatsApp.

How far is Ganjari stadium from Varanasi Cantt station and the airport?

About 19.8 km from Varanasi Junction (Cantt) and about 25 km from Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Babatpur. Go by car, taxi, app cab or auto; no match-day shuttle has been announced.

Will WPL or IPL matches be played at the Varanasi stadium?

Varanasi has been reported as a possible venue for WPL 2027 (14 January–7 February 2027) if the stadium is ready, but we found no announcement of WPL venues as of 7 November 2026. No IPL or international match at Ganjari has been announced.