2. Eden Gardens, Kolkata (68,000 capacity)
The celebrated Eden Gardens, Kolkata is the oldest and second-largest cricket stadium in India. The stadium was established in 1864. It takes its name from the Eden Gardens, one of the oldest parks in Kolkata, adjacent to the stadium, designed in 1841 and named after the Eden sisters of Lord Auckland, the then Governor-General of India.
It currently has a capacity of 68,000 spectators. Eden Gardens is often referred to as the “Home of Indian Cricket” or the “Mecca of Indian Cricket” due to it being the first officially built ground for the game of cricket in India.
The stadium has hosted 15 Cricket World Cup matches across formats and men’s and women’s cricket including 4 finals (1987 ODI CWC, 2016 T20I, 1997 Women’s CWC, and 2016 Women’s T20I) and 1 semifinal (1996 ODI CWC).
The first recorded Test at the venue was held in 1934 between England and India, its first One Day International in 1987 between India and Pakistan, and it’s first T20 international in 2011 between India and England. Eden Gardens was also the host for India’s first-ever Day/Night Test during the second Test between India and Bangladesh in 2019.
