Cricket Grounds in India: From the Biggest to the Oldest

India loves cricket – it's practically a religion here. Players in this nation are generational icons, with one player even given the title as the God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar. There’s cricket usually involved in every conversation between people, and passion for the sport permeates every aspect of life. Be it in cities or villages, cricket isn't just a game; it's a way of life. Even the tiniest of spaces buzzes with the sound of people playing the sport with lots of excitement. And our cricket grounds are like magic places. They're not just for matches; they're where dreams are forged. You can feel the excitement in the air, whether it's a big game or just friends having fun.

But, the professional cricket stadiums in India are the real deal, these aren't just venues for games, they are a network of infrastructure where countless players dream of representing their country at the highest level.

And guess what? India holds the crown for the most cricket stadiums globally, a whopping 53! That's 30 more than the second-place holder, England, with only 23. Our cricket story isn't just about numbers; it's a tale of passion, dreams, and the beating heart of a nation in love with the game.

So, in this chapter by ZAP about cricket grounds in India, let’s discover the history of the cricket grounds in India and know about the oldest, newest, largest and the best stadium in India.

Eden Gardens, Kolkata – The Mecca of Cricket:

Credit: Kolkata Taxi Services

The Eden Gardens cricket ground in Kolkata is known as the Mecca of cricket and is undoubtedly India’s most prestigious stadium. Though the stadium was established way back in 1864, the first ever international game played here was on 5 January 1935. Throughout its history the Eden gardens have hosted several important matches, including the India vs South Africa Hero Cup Semi-Final in 1993, West Indies vs England T20 World Cup Final in 2016 or India’s first ever Pink Ball Day Night Test Match against Bangladesh in 2019. With a capacity of around 68,000 seats currently, the ground is one of the biggest in India. The Kolkata Knight Riders IPL team call the Eden Gardens its home ground, and the atmosphere at the stadium is electric, and the crowds are incredibly passionate and supportive for each and every IPL game.

M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 2^nd Oldest Cricket Ground in India:

Credit: Beamer - Cricket Unorthodox

The Chepauk Stadium is the second oldest stadium in India with it’s first match played on 10^th February 1934, and after over 80 years or it still stands at one of India’s premier sporting venues. It even hosted matches for the ICC ODI World Cup 23. The Chennai Cricket Ground is also the home ground of MS Dhoni’s Mighty Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. With a seating capacity of about 50,000 seats, the stadium is ideal for matches in all formats of the game, be it T20s, ODIs or Test matches. And an IPL match, the stands turn yellow with all the CSK supporters cheering for their home team with all their hearts.

Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, New Delhi:

Credit: Wikimedia Images

Previously known as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, this ground is the third oldest ground in India. The first ever match played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was just after India’s independence, on 10 November 1948. This ground is also the home of the IPL underdogs Delhi Capitals and with a capacity of about 41,000 spectators, it’s short boundaries and batting favourbale pitch, the venue is perfect for an IPL T20 game.

Brabourne Stadium – Mumbai’s Original Stadium:

Credit: The Hindu Business Line

Brabourne is like the long lost gem of a stadium from Mumbai, India. It is one of Mumbai’s OG grounds and was built way before the Wankhede stadium. The first ever international game here was played on 9^th December 1948, about 27 years earlier than the Wankhede. Though, not many people know about the ground, it is not completely forgotten. The stadium with it’s capacity of around 20,000 spectators, was one of the 4 hosts for all the matches of the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League.

Green Park Stadium, Kanpur:

The Green Park Stadium is a lesser known ground, but has hosted some high profile games throughout its history that you should know about. With a capacity of 32,000 seats, the first ever international cricket game here was played on 12 January 1952. The venue is most famous for hosting one of Indian Cricket Team’s most prestigious games, the 500^Th Test Match game that India played.

Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore – Royal Challengers Bangalore Home Ground:

Credit: ICC

This stadium needs no introduction. This venue is the home of IPL’s most infamously famous IPL teams, the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The first match at the KSCA Stadium was played on 22 November 1974, and even after 50 years of history, the ground with its capacity of 40,000 spectators is still one of the best to watch a T20 cricket game at. Chris Gayle’s 175 runs off 66 balls against Pune Warriors India in IPL 2013, Rohit Sharma’s first double century in that same year, and then India’s 1 run victory in the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup against Bangladesh all came at this ground. With the small boundaries, the batting friendly cricket pitch, you see balls fly off into the stands almost in every over.

Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai – Home Ground of the Mumbai Indians:

Credit: Jagran Josh

Arguably the best cricket ground in India, the Wankhede Stadium is the home ground to the Mumbai Cricket Association Team and the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. After hosting its first international game on 23 January 1975, who knew it would give us Indian fans a memory that we would cherish forever. That Dhoni six in the 2011 World Cup final, where India finally sealed the World Cup trophy after 28 years was at this very ground. Also recently, we witnessed the greatest ODI innings of all time where Glenn Maxwell’s scored an unbelievable 201 against Afghanistan and single handedly won the game for Australian Team. Also, it’s the same ground where the God, Sachin Tendulkar played his 200^th and final Test Game and bid farewell to the game in 2013. 10 years later in the 2023 CWC, on the same pitch, the King of Cricket, Virat Kohli went past through his record scoring 50 ODI hundreds, the most centuries by any batter in the ODI format. With a modest seating capacity of 33,108 seats, this ground hosts matches throughout the year, across all formats of the game.

Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur – Rajasthan Royals Home Ground:

Credit: TheSportsRush

This is ground where Dhoni played that astonishing innings of 183 runs against Sri Lanka, transforming from the young and unorthodox batsman to one of ICT’s most trusted upper middle order batter. The Sawai Mansingh Stadium is Jaipur’s pride, and a foretress for the Rajasthan Royals IPL team. Hosting its first international game on 2 October 1983 and with a capacity of 23,185, the venue has hosted 1 Test Match, 1 T20I and 19 ODI matches.

Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad – Home Ground of the Gujarat Titans:

Credit: Oneindia

Don’t be fooled, thinking the Narendra Modi Stadium is one of the newer stadiums in India. It was earlier known as the Motera Stadium or the Sardar Vallabhai Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad and is also one of India’s oldest international venues hosting it’s first international game on 12 November 1983. After recent renovations, the ground got a complete makeover, making it the largest cricket ground in the world with a staggering capacity of 130,000 seats. The new Ahmedabad Ground has hosted some very important game, including 2 IPL finals in 2022 and 2023, the India vs Pakistan clash in the 2023 ICC World Cup and a forgettable 2023 Cricket World Cup Final.

Inderjit Singh Bindra Stadium, Mohali Punjab – Punjab Kings home Ground:

The IS Bindra Cricket Stadium in Mohali is one of the best venue with a high scoring pitch and favourable batting conditions. Batting conditions so favourable, Rohit Sharma smashed his third ODI double ton against Sri Lanka here. Also, that memorable Virat Kohli run chase vs Australia in the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup came at this ground. This venue with a capacity of around 26,950 spectators is also the home for the Punjab Kings (previously known as Kings XI Punjab) in the IPL. Though the venue has never seen the IPL team win a trophy here, the ground is always buzzing and packed with fans with support.

Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala:

Credit: Caught at Point

Clad between the Himalayan mountains, the HPCA Dharamshala Stadium is one of India's most beautiful sporting venues. The first internation match here was an ODI played between India and England on 27th January 2013. The ground with a capacity of about 23,000 spectators is known for its batting friendly pitch. Adam Gilchrist was the first batsman to score a century in the IPL at this venue, and his innings even included a six that went flying for 122 metres out of the ground. Occasionally, this venue has even served home for the Punjab Kings in the IPL. 

Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy International Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam:

Built on the Bay of Bengal's pristine shores, this stadium witnessed its first international match on 5 April 2005, between the eternal rivals, India vs Pakistan where MS Dhoni scored his maiden ODI hundred with its score of 148 run. With a vibrant 25,000 capacity, it boasts a batsman-friendly pitch and has hosted some fiery Indian Premier League encounters.

Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad – Sunrisers Hyderabad Home Ground:

Credit: TheSportsRush

The home ground of the SunRisers Hyderabad, the Hyderabad cricket stadium is one of the biggest cricket ground in India. With a capacity of 55000, the ground hosted its first international match on 16 November 2005. The ground has hosted two of the best IPL finals ever in 2017 and 2019. Both years, Mumbai Indians won the tournament by just 1 run. In 2017 after defending a low total against Rising Pune Supergiants and in 2019 against the Chennai Super Kings.

Holkar Stadium Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Indore:

The Holkar Cricket is located in Indore and is Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association’s home ground. The first match here was played on 15 April 2006 and the venue has a capacity of 30000 seats. The ground is known for being one of the smallest in India with its average boundaries only 56-60 meters long. Virender Sehwag scored a brilliant 219 runs in an ODI game against West Indies at this very ground.

Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati, Assam:

Built on the banks of the Brahmaputra river, the Guwahati Stadium has a stadium capacity of around 40,000 spectators. The first match here was played on 10 October 2017 and hasn’t hosted a large magnitude of matches by any means. In the 2023 edition of the IPL, Rajasthan Royals played 2 home games at this venue, as BCCI’s initiative to promote cricket in the northeast India.

Greenfield International Stadium, Trivandrum:

Famous for its capacity of 50,000 spectators, this venue in Trivandrum is built for hosting both football and cricket matches and has been constructed with guidelines from both, FIFA and International Cricket Council (ICC). The name of the stadium comes from the fact that it is the first fully eco friendly in India equipped with rainwater collection system and lush natural surroundings. The first ever international match here was played on 1 November 2018, between India and West Indies where India beat West Indies convincingly by 9 wickets.

Also Read: Football vs Cricket

Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow – Home Ground of the Lucknow Super Giants:

Credit: Ekana Sportz City

The Ekana Cricket stadium is one of the newest stadiums in India and came into the limelight when the Lucknow Super Giants IPL team was formed. It started hosting IPL matches in 2023 as the home ground of LSG in the IPL. The stadium with its capacity of around 50,000 spectators is one of the bigger stadiums in India. The stadium has the longest straight boundaries in comparison to all the stadiums in India, but with its batting friendly pitch, scoring runs isn’t very tough.

Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune:

Credit: myKhel

The MCA stadium in Pune is one of the newest cricket stadiums in India and with its impressive capacity of 37,406 spectators, it has hosted witnessed one of the greatest Test match innings ever played. The first match here was played in February 2017, between India and Australia. In a test series between India and South Africa in 2019, Virat Kohli arguably played one of the best innings of his life, scoring 254 runs which helped India defeat South Africa by an innings and 137 runs. The venue has also played host to multiple IPL teams on various occasions, including the Pune Warriors India, Rising Pune Super Giants and the Chennai Super Kings.

DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai:

Credit: Cricwindow

DY Patil stadium is one of the newest cricket grounds in India. It hosted its first match on 11 November 2009 and since hasn’t hosted many games with the Wankhede ground being the primary venue in Mumbai. But, the DY Patil Stadium, with its state of the art facilities and a capacity of 55000 has hosted multiple IPL matches and even 2 IPL finals in 2008 and 2010.

 

Those were all the major cricket grounds in India, showcasing India’s prestigious past in the history of cricket.

Largest Cricket Grounds in India:

Rank	Name	Capacity
1	Narendra Modi Stadium (Ahmedabad)	132,000
2	Eden Gardens (Kolkata)	68,000
3	SV Narayan Singh Stadium (Raipur)	65,000
4	Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (Hyderabad)	55,000
5	DY Patil Stadium (Mumbai)	55,000
6	ACA Stadium (Guwahati)	55,000
7	Greenfield Stadium (Trivandrum)	55,000
8	Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (Dehradun)	55,000
9	M. A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chennai)	50,000
10	JSCA Stadium (Ranchi)	50,000

FAQ: