Sharjah Cricket Stadium: Scandals haunt Guinness Book of World Records holder
Sharjah Stadium is one of the stadiums to host some matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 edition. From being the center of scandals, the stadium now holds the world record of hosting the maximum number of ODI’s.
FollowEstablished as the world's premier one-day international (ODI) venue in the 1990s, the Sharjah Stadium soon lost its luster as it became a hub of match-rigging scandals. The stadium acquired a tarnished reputation ever since ‘The Sharjah Cup 2000’ (India vs Pakistan), which burst out the trail of players indulging in the match-fixing scandal. India had blacklisted Sharjah as a cricket destination following the match-fixing scandal. Carrying this stigma, the stadium then started hosting minor matches and took some time to recover its legacy.
Now, with UAE as the host for IPL 2020, there are limited stadiums to organize matches. The franchisees look forward to their scheduled matches at Sharjah, which has clinched the name in the Guinness Book of World Records for hosting the maximum number of ODI matches (240). Despite its 'scandalous' reputation, both Sharjah and Dubai are successful cricket destinations.
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With a seating capacity of nearly 20,000, the stadium had hosted six matches during IPL 2014. With Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) got their wins, Rajasthan Royals (RR), Mumbai Indians (MI), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) experienced tough luck at Sharjah. For IPL 2020, Sharjah will host twice the number of matches since 2014.
Sharjah is the host to the following matches in IPL 2020:
September 22: RR v CSK
September 27: RR v KXIP
October 3: DC v KKR
October 4: MI v SRH
October 9: RR v DC
October 12: RCB v KKR
October 15: RCB v KXIP
October 17: DC v CSK
October 23: CSK v MI
October 26: KKR v KXIP
October 31: RCB v SRH
November 3: SRH v MI
