The National Stadium of Pakistan officially known as the National Bank Cricket Arena is primarily a cricket stadium, located in Karachi, Pakistan. The stadium serves as the home venue of the Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League and has also hosted various domestic cricket teams from Sindh. The stadium has a seating capacity of 30,000 spectators. The National Stadium in Karachi has a long history of hosting international cricket. It staged its first Test match in 1955, when Pakistan played India. The venue has hosted several Cricket World Cup matches and has been one of Pakistan's major international cricket grounds. As of October 2026, National Bank Cricket Arena has hosted 47 men's Tests, 59 ODIs and 11 T20Is.
Construction of the stadium began in the early 1950s under the supervision of civil engineers Kafiluddin Ahmed and Abdul Rasheed Khan, and the venue was formally inaugurated in April 1955. In October 2022, the Pakistan Cricket Board entered into a five-year naming-rights agreement (This was the first naming-rights deal for a stadium in Pakistan) with the National Bank of Pakistan, resulting in the venue being renamed National Bank Cricket Arena.
The National Bank Cricket Arena has hosted several memorable moments in Pakistan cricket. During the 1987 World Cup, West Indies captain Viv Richards scored 181 against Sri Lanka, the highest individual ODI score at the venue. In 2006, Mohammad Yousuf scored his ninth Test century of the calendar year against the West Indies, surpassing Viv Richards' previous record. In the same year, Kamran Akmal scored 113 against India after Pakistan had been reduced to 39/6, helping the hosts recover to a 341-run victory.
Trivia
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Prominent West Indian cricketer Sir Viv Richards scored his famous 181 against Sri Lanka in the 1987 World Cup match at this ground.
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One of the most successful Indian cricketers, Sachin Tendulkar played his first Test match on this ground.
