International Cricket Stadiums came to India for the first time in December 1933 when India took on England in a Test match at the Gymkhana Ground in Bombay. Since then, many venues have gotten an opportunity to host international matches in the country. In total, India has 53 International cricket venues, which is the most in any country, England in the second with 23 venues.
Out of the 53 international venues, 25 are the active cricketing venues in India. In this article, we take a look at the active international cricket stadiums in India:
#Eden Gardens, Kolkata
The Eden Gardens in Kolkata is the oldest and the second-largest cricket stadium in India and the third-largest in the world. It has the capacity to host 66000 spectators and is also known as the called the “Mecca of Indian cricket”. The stadium was established in 1864 and is named after the Eden Gardens park, where it is located, itself named after the Eden sisters, Emily and Fanny, of Lord Auckland, the Governor-General of India.
The Eden Gardens is operated by the Cricket Association of Bengal. The first Test match at the venue was held in 1934 between England and India. It has hosted four World Cup finals, the 1987 ODI CWC, the 2016 T20I WC, the 1997 Women’s CWC, and the 2016 Women’s T20I. The first day/night Test played by India and the first day/night Test to be played in India, was hosted at this venue.
#M.A Chidambaram Cricket Stadiums, Chennai
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium is commonly known as the Chepauk Stadium. It was established in 1916, it is the second oldest cricket stadium in the country after Eden Gardens in Kolkata. It was formerly known as Madras Cricket Club Ground. The venue is the home ground of the Tamil Nadu cricket team and the Indian Premier League team Chennai Super Kings. The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium hosted its first Test match on 10 February 1934. India achieved its victory in Test cricket at this venue against England in 1952. The ground has the capacity to host 50,000 spectators.
#Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadiums, New Delhi
The Arun Jaitley Stadium is owned and operated by the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA). It was established in 1883 as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium and named after the nearby Kotla fort. On 12 September 2019, the stadium was renamed in memory of former DDCA President and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The DDCA has named stands after former cricketers, Bishan Singh Bedi, Mohinder Amarnath, and Gautam Gambhir. The venue hosted its first Test on 10 November 1948 when India took on the West Indies. Since 2008, the stadium has been the home of the Delhi Capitals franchise of the Indian Premier League.
#Brabourne Cricket Stadiums, Mumbai
The Brabourne Stadium was built in the British Bombay era and is named after former Bombay governor Lord Brabourne. It is owned by the Cricket Club of India. The North Stand of the Brabourne used to house the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters and the 1983 Cricket World Cup trophy until 2006. The first first-class match to be played at the ground was between Lord Tennyson’s XI and a CCI XI in 1937. It hosted its first Test in 1948 when India played West Indies.
#Green Park Cricket Stadiums, Kanpur
The Green Park Stadium in Kanpur was established in 1945 and is under the control of the Sports Department of Uttar Pradesh. It is the home ground of the Uttar Pradesh cricket team. The Stadium was named after a British woman named Green who used to go horse riding there. It is also nicknamed ‘Woolmer’s turf’, after the late cricket coach and player Bob Woolmer who was born in McRobert Hospital opposite the stadium. Green Park Stadium’s seating capacity is 32,000 seats. It hosted its first Test in 1952 between India and England. Team India’s 500th test was also played at this venue.
#M. Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadiums, Bengaluru
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is a five-decade-old stadium, situated in the heart of Bengaluru. It is also known as the Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium and has a seating capacity of 40,000. The stadium is owned by the Government of Karnataka and has been leased out to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for a period of 100 years. The venue first hosted an international game in 1974 between India and West Indies. It is the home ground of the Karnataka state cricket team and the Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.
#Wankhede Cricket Stadiums, Mumbai
The Wankhede Stadium was built in 1974 by the Mumbai Cricket Association. It was built after disputes between the Cricket Club of India, which owns the Brabourne Stadium, and the Mumbai Cricket Association over the allocation of tickets for cricket matches. The Stadium is named after S. K. Wankhede, a politician and the secretary of the Mumbai Cricket Association, who took the initiative to build the ground. It houses the BCCI, IPL, and Mumbai Cricket Association’s headquarters. The stadium has a capacity of 33,108 and hosted the 2011 World Cup final, which India won defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets.
#Barabati Cricket Stadiums, Cuttack
The Barabati Stadium is owned and operated by the Odisha Cricket Association. It is used mostly for cricket and association football. The stadium was built in 1958 and has the capacity to host 45000 spectators. It hosted its first game which was a One Day International in January 1982, when India beat England by five wickets to lift the series 2–1. The indoor cricket hall at Barabati Stadium is named after legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.
#Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium was named after Sawai Man Singh II, the former Maharaja of the state of Jaipur. The stadium seats 30,000. It has hosted a solitary Test match, between India and Pakistan, starting in February 1987, when Pakistan President General Zia-ul-Haq crossed the border to watch the second day’s play as part of his “Cricket for Peace” initiative. The ground is the home of the Rajasthan cricket team and the Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals.
#Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
The Narendra Modi Stadium was formerly known as the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium (old structure). It was constructed in 1983 and hosted its first game in the same year when India played against West Indies. The stadium was closed and demolished in 2015. It was completely rebuilt by 2020 and is now the largest stadium in the world, with a seating capacity of 132,000 spectators. The new structure was named after the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
#IS Bindra Cricket Stadiums, Mohali
The IS Bindra Stadium is popularly referred to as the Mohali Stadium. It was built by Geetanshu Kalra and is named after former BCCI president & former PCA president Inderjit Singh Bindra. The stadium was inaugurated with the One Day International match between India and South Africa during the 1993 Hero Cup on 22 November. It is home to the Punjab cricket team and Punjab Kings (IPL franchise).
#Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy International Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy International Cricket Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established in 2008 and is owned by the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh. The stadium hosted its first ODI match against Pakistan in 2005. It has Test status and first hosted its first test match in November 2016, between India and England.
#Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad
The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium is also known as Hyderabad Cricket Stadium. It is named after the former prime minister of India Rajiv Gandhi. The ground is located in the eastern suburb of Uppal and it has a maximum capacity of 55,000. It is the home ground for the Hyderabad Cricket Association and the Indian Premier League team Sunrisers Hyderabad.
#Holkar Stadium, Indore
The Holkar Cricket Stadium was formerly known as Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground. In 2010, Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association renamed it after the Holkar dynasty of the Marathas that ruled Indore State. It started hosting International games in 2006 when the ground’s first one-day international game was played. The stadium has a seating capacity of around 30,000 spectators. It is the home ground of the Madhya Pradesh cricket team.
#Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium is the largest cricket stadium in India in terms of the field area. It is also known as New VCA Stadium. The ground is located at Jamtha on the southern outskirts of Nagpur and was inaugurated in 2008. It replaced the old Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground as the city’s main stadium. The stadium hosted India vs Australia Test in 2008. It is the home ground for the Vidarbha and Central Zone cricket teams for the domestic Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy tournaments respectively.
#Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium is also known as the Gahunje Stadium, as it is located on the outskirts of the city limit of Pune in Gahunje village. It was established in 2012 and has a capacity of over 37,400 spectators. The first match was played between Kings XI Punjab and Pune Warriors in April 2012. Meanwhile, the first international game between India and England later that year in December. The stadium is the home venue of the Maharashtra cricket team and is the headquarters of the Maharashtra Cricket Association.
#Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
The Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium is also known as the Khandheri Cricket Stadium. It was established in 2008, and can hold 28,000 people. The first international match took place in 2013 between India and England. The stadium is part of a larger sports complex that includes venues for other sports such as badminton, basketball, and volleyball.
#JSCA International Cricket Stadium, Ranchi
The JSCA International Cricket Stadium was built by the Jharkhand State Cricket Association in 2011. The decision to build the stadium stemmed from a dispute with Tata Steel, regarding allocations of international matches and conducting matches in Keenan Stadium. It first hosted an international match on 19 January 2013, between India and England. The stadium has a capacity of 50000 spectators.
#Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharmashala
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium is a beautiful picturesque location in the city of Dharamshala in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is situated at an altitude of 1,457 m above the sea level and has the snow-capped Himalayan mountains in the background. The stadium is owned by the HPCA and was established in 2003. It serves as the home ground for the Himachal Pradesh cricket team for Ranji Trophy matches and other domestic matches.
#Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground, Greater Noida
Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground is known as the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex. Vijay Singh Pathik was an Indian revolutionary who fought against British rule. It is owned by the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority. The stadium was the home ground of the Afghanistan national cricket team. However, in 2017, it lost its status to hold any BCCI matches, as it hosted a private league which was not permitted by the board.
#Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati
Assam Cricket Association Stadium is also known as ACA Stadium or Barsapara Cricket Stadium. It was inaugurated by Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal on 10 October 2017. Earlier it used to host domestic games. The stadium largest sports stadium in Northeast India. The first International cricket match played here was a T20I between India and Australia in 2017.
#Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram
The Greenfield International Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kerala, used mainly for cricket. It was built on a land taken on lease from the Kerala University. The stadium is home for the Kerala cricket team. It hosted its first game in 2017, when India took on New Zealand in a T20I game.
#Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium is known as Dehradun Cricket stadium. It is the home ground of Uttarakhand cricket team. The stadium is named after former prime minister of India Rajiv Gandhi. It was inaugurated on 16 December 2016 by Chief Minister Harish Rawat along with Rajeev Shukla, Chairperson of the Indian Premier League.
#Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium is the fifth largest international cricket stadium in nation, with a seating capacity of 50000. It was formerly known as the Ekana International Cricket Stadium, and later renamed in honour of former Prime minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This venue was awarded by the BCCI to Afghanistan national cricket team as their third home venue in India. Team India took on West Indies in a T20I in the first ever international game played at this venue.
#Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Raipur
The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium Raipur is also known as Naya Raipur International Cricket Stadium. The construction of the stadium began in the year 2006 and it was completed in 2008. It was built and owned by the Government of Chhattisgarh. The stadium is the third largest cricket stadium in India and fourth-largest cricket stadium in the world, with a seating capacity of 65,000 approx.
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