When the second match between India and South Africa gets underway on Saturday, the ACA Stadium in Guwahati will become the first venue in North-East India to host Test cricket.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who has served as the secretary of Assam Cricket Association (ACA), believes Guwahati’s inaugural Test will have a ripple effect on cricket’s popularity in the region.
“It is a great occasion for Assam as well as for the entire North-East to host this Test match at a venue within their domain. Holding this Test match here, I am sure a lot of young cricketers will get encouraged to play cricket in a much better way,” said Saikia during a media interaction at the Barsapara Stadium on Thursday.
“A lot of encouraging things are going to happen with the hosting of this match. It has already created a ripple across the breadth and length of our state, as well as other North-eastern states
“We started this process in 2019 when the Assam Cricket Association, for the first time, requested BCCI to allot a Test match. By then, Assam had already hosted several ODIs and T20Is. I hope that this match will not only attract people to the stands but also have a positive impact on the careers of upcoming cricketers,” added Saikia.
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Saikia also thanked ICC chairman Jay Shah, who was the BCCI secretary when ACA pushed for the Test match.
“On behalf of the entire North-eastern Cricket Associations, we thank Jay Shah for allowing us to host not only this match, but also the Women’s World Cup matches earlier this year,” said Saikia.
ACA president Taranga Gogoi expects the Barsapara Stadium, which has a capacity of around 40,000, to be sold out for Sunday, the second day of the Test.
“Till now, we have been able to declare [the tickets] for the first two days. We think on Sunday it will be houseful. Around 19,000 tickets, each for Sunday and Saturday, have already been sold,” said Gogoi.
Published on Nov 20, 2025