Stadiums provide an atmosphere that brings strangers together. Doesn’t matter where you’re from, once you enter a stadium there’s only one single goal – cheering for your team. The supporters are usually considered as the twelfth man. Due to the pandemic, this has become a bigger deal since empty stadiums don’t give the same pleasure as a packed M Chinnaswamy crowd.
In a country like India where cricket is more or less a religion, many people dream of visiting stadiums and being part of the cricketing culture. For many fans, visiting the ground to watch their favorite teams in action is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For some, it’s basically a hobby to visit iconic stadiums around the world. On that note, we take a look at 5 best stadiums in the world:
5) Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia
The SCG was established in 1848 and it now boasts a capacity of 48,601. It is a multi-purpose stadium, that can host all the formats of cricket, as well as Australian rules football, rugby league football, rugby union, and association football.
This ground is one of the most spin-friendly international cricket grounds of Australia. On 15 December 1928, the SCG recorded its largest-ever attendance of 58446 when Australia played against England. With changes to the ground seating, the record is unlikely to be beaten.
The SCG was also the place of a tragedy in November 2014. A bouncer from Sean Abbott hit Phillip Hughes in the neck, which knocked him unconscious. A few days later, Hughes died as a result of subarachnoid hemorrhage, to the shock and dismay of cricketing fans around the world.
4) Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, India
This stadium is located in Hyderabad, and it has a reported capacity of 55,000. In 2005, after completion of the structure, it hosted its first international game between India and South Africa. The wicket here is usually considered as a flat-track, with the batsmen making merry on this high-scoring pitch.
In total, it has hosted 5 Tests, 6 ODI’s and a couple of T20I’s. It is the home of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise in the IPL. VVS Laxman, the mentor of the team, had the North End named after him following his retirement from international cricket.
3) Narendra Modi Stadium, India
The new and refurbished Motera stadium was inaugurated in 2021, and is the largest cricket stadium in the world and also the largest stadium in the world. Its capacity is a staggering 132,000, and it played as the host to a pink-ball Test between India and England in the recently concluded series.
This stadium was renovated after Modi heard about the Melbourne Cricket Stadium and its capacity. It is the only stadium in the world with 11 pitches side-by-side. There are four dressing rooms as well, which allows for back-to-back matches to take place in a day.
The stadium has a boatload of facilities, ranging from an Olympic-sized swimming pool, an indoor cricket academy, badminton and tennis courts, a squash arena, a table tennis area, a 3D projector theater, and a clubhouse with three practice grounds and 50 rooms.
2) Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia
The MCG was the largest cricket ground in the world until 2021, when Narendra Modi stadium stole the honors. It was established in 1853 but has undergone renovations since. Its maximum seating capacity is approximately 95,000, with an additional 5,000 standing room capacity – bringing the total capacity to 100,024.
The first international match at this venue, was played between Australia and England in 1877. It hosted the final of the 2015 ODI World Cup, where Australia defeated New Zealand in front of a crowd of 93013. Apart from cricket, it has served as hosts to Rugby, Summer Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Tennis, Cycling and Football.
1) Lord’s, England
Lord’s is widely referred to as the Home of Cricket. This ground has a capacity of 30,000 spectators, although talks are in flow regarding increasing the amenities and capacities. Lord’s is the home of the MCC Museum, which is the oldest sports museum in the world.
It is the oldest cricket ground as it was established in the year 1814. To mark the occasion of its 200th anniversary in 2014, an MCC XI captained by Sachin Tendulkar played a Rest of the World XI led by Shane Warne in a 50 overs match.
For Indian cricketing fans, one of their most iconic moments occurred on this ground. After winning the Natwest final against England by chasing 326, Sourav Ganguly took off his shirt and waved it at the Lord’s balcony.
The highest individual score at this stadium is by Graham Gooch when he scored 333 against India and followed it up with a 123 in the second innings. The best bowling figures, on the other hand, were recorded by Ian Botham in 1978, when he picked up 8/34 against Pakistan.