India will face England in the second ODI of the three-match series at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, with the visitors arriving on the back of a clinical six-wicket win in the opening match at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Led by Shubman Gill, India have the chance to build on that start and push for a series advantage ahead of the decider.
As the teams prepare for the Cardiff clash, India’s history at Sophia Gardens offers useful context. The numbers show India have generally enjoyed success at the venue across formats, and their ODI record in particular stands out.
India at Sophia Gardens: overall and ODI record
Between 2011 and 2018, India played five international matches at Sophia Gardens. Across those fixtures, India won three and lost two, giving them a 60% win percentage at the Cardiff ground.
India’s wins at the venue include victories over South Africa and Sri Lanka during the 2013 Champions Trophy. Against England specifically, India have won one of three international fixtures played in Cardiff.
Focusing only on ODIs, India’s record becomes even stronger. India have played four ODIs at Sophia Gardens and won three of them, which translates to a 75% success rate in the format at this ground.
India have faced England in two ODIs at Sophia Gardens. The first meeting ended in a heavy six-wicket defeat for India in 2011, but the next time the sides met in an ODI in Cardiff, India responded with a commanding 133-run victory. That leaves India with a 50% ODI win rate against England at Sophia Gardens.
An interesting scoring pattern also emerges from those two India-England ODIs in Cardiff: India crossed the 300-run mark on both occasions, posting the exact same total in each match.
Recalling India’s last ODI win over England in Cardiff
In the most recent ODI meeting between the sides at Sophia Gardens, India posted 304 runs. Suresh Raina played a key role in that total with a quick-fire century, scoring 100 off 75 balls.
England’s chase then fell away as Ravindra Jadeja produced a standout bowling performance. England were bowled out for 161 in 38.1 overs, sealing a comfortable India win in that match.
Key India performers at Sophia Gardens: runs, wickets and milestones
The venue has also produced notable individual returns for India. Virat Kohli is highlighted as India’s best batter at Sophia Gardens, with 243 runs at an average of 60.75 and a strike rate of 101.67.
Kohli also holds the record for the most ODI runs by an India batter in Cardiff overall, scoring 196 runs across four matches. One of his standout innings at the venue came in India’s first-ever match at Sophia Gardens in 2011, when he made 107 off 93 balls.
With the ball, Ravindra Jadeja is India’s most successful bowler at Sophia Gardens, taking eight wickets at the ground. His impact was particularly significant in India’s ODI win over England in Cardiff, where he claimed a four-wicket haul.
Against England in ODIs at Sophia Gardens, Suresh Raina is noted as India’s most successful batter, scoring 115 runs in two innings. However, there is a clear milestone in play for the upcoming match: if Kohli, currently on 107 runs against England in ODIs at the venue, scores nine more runs in the second ODI of the 2026 series, he will move past Raina to become India’s leading ODI run-scorer against England at Sophia Gardens.
With India’s strong ODI record in Cardiff, past 300-plus totals against England at the ground, and individual benchmarks on the line, the second ODI at Sophia Gardens carries added significance beyond the immediate series scoreline.
