Bali International Oval: Indonesia's New Cricket Hub

In the shadow of Bali’s volcanic ridgelines, Indonesia is quietly building something with global intent.

Cricket Indonesia has begun work on the Bali International Oval (BIO) in North Bali, a two-oval complex designed not as a picturesque tournament stop, but as the country’s flagship home for international cricket and elite preparation. This is not a field with a few sightscreens and a pavilion. It is a statement.

Two full-sized turf ovals anchor the project, both already mapped out, their footprints cut into the landscape. The centre-wicket blocks are taking shape, the skeleton of a venue that aims to host everything from senior internationals to age-group training camps. BIO is being conceived as a year-round facility, a place where lights stay on long after the tourists have left the beaches.

At its core will sit the Garuda National Cricket Academy, the high-performance engine room of the complex. From there, Indonesia’s senior and youth teams will train, while visiting international sides, academies, coaches and curators will be invited into a purpose-built environment. The ambition is clear: Bali is not just a destination; it is a base.

The construction is entering a crucial phase. With the basic layout in place, attention now turns to the subtleties that separate a decent ground from a genuine high-performance venue. Wicket maturation. Surface refinement. Drainage and irrigation systems tuned to Bali’s climate. Specialist ground machinery will follow, along with dedicated high-performance spaces, team facilities and broadcast infrastructure to bring the ground up to international standard.

Cricket Indonesia does not want BIO to serve only the domestic game. The vision stretches across the Asia-Pacific. The complex is being pitched as a regional high-performance hub, where training, sports science, coach education, athlete recovery and tournament operations are all housed on a single site. A team could arrive in Bali and find everything it needs within the boundary rope and its immediate surrounds.

The spark for this project was lit in January 2024, when the Asian Cricket Council held its Annual General Meeting in Bali and formally welcomed Indonesia into the ACC fold. It was a ceremonial moment, but it carried a challenge.

“When the ACC came to Bali in 2024, the message I took away was bigger than membership. Inclusive leadership had opened a pathway for Indonesia. I felt our responsibility was to build the infrastructure that would allow our players to use that opportunity for generations,” says Abhiram Singh Yadav, chairman of Cricket Indonesia.

That responsibility has now taken physical form in North Bali. The timing is no accident. Cricket is pushing into new territories, and its return to the Olympic Games has shifted the sport’s horizon. Indonesia wants to be ready when that wave breaks.

Cricket Indonesia believes BIO can sit at the centre of an Olympic pathway for local talent, giving young players not only a place to learn the game, but a facility that matches their ambitions. The hope is that international teams and programmes will be drawn to Bali’s combination of location and infrastructure, turning the island into a regular stop on the global cricket calendar.

“The Olympic return changes the imagination of cricket. A young Indonesian should be able to dream not only of international cricket, but of an Olympic pathway. Our infrastructure must be ready for that era,” Yadav says.

The ovals are still growing, the wickets still hardening. But the direction is unmistakable: Indonesia is not waiting for cricket to come to it. It is building the stage and inviting the world in.