Cricket in India does not refer to just a game, but is a religion followed passionately by millions of people throughout the nation. Being a sports lover myself and living in India, it is impossible not to embrace the deep passion that every Indian has for cricket. Steering the centre of this cricketing passion are the memorable grounds that have seen legendary encounters, astonishing performances, and thrilling climaxes. India has some of the most appealing and distinctive cricket grounds, each with a history of its own.
Source-YouTube
Here Below The Top 10 Cricket Stadiums In India
| Rank | Stadium Name | Location | Seating Capacity |
| 1 | Chepauk Stadium (M. A. Chidambaram Stadium) | Chennai | 40,000 |
| 2 | Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | 132,000 |
| 3 | Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 80,000 |
| 4 | Naya Raipur International Cricket Stadium | Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh | 55,065 |
| 5 | Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium | Hyderabad | 55,000 |
| 6 | Holkar Stadium | Madhya Pradesh | 30,000 |
| 7 | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | 50,000 |
| 8 | JSCA International Cricket Stadium | Ranchi | 50,000 |
| 9 | Barabati Stadium | Cuttack, Odisha | 45,000 |
| 10 | Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium | Nagpur | 45,000 |
1. Chepauk Stadium, Chennai
Source: Wikipedia
The fans of the Indian cricket team fondly refer to the cricket board as the ‘Grand Old Dame of Indian Cricket’. The famous stadium is the Chepauk Stadium or the M. A. Chidambaram stadium. Chepauk came into existence in 1916 thus making it the second oldest cricket ground in India– the first being the Eden Gardens of Kolkata.
Built with a seating capacity of 40,000 people this time-worn stadium has seen hundreds of cricketing triumphs. The Chepauk ground illuminated India’s first Test victory against England in 1952, a victory that still stirs the passion of Indian cricket fans. It also has the strength of Tamil Nadu cricket team and IPL team, Chennai Super Kings, one of the best teams of the IPL.
Over the last few years, there have been major overhauls happening to Chepauk to make it more friendly for the fans. The stadium has been improved to include a contemporary pavilion that was not there before, in addition to new stands for the spectators.
As to the contemporary environmental issues, the given upgrade eliminates the utilization of plastic in the sphere of the stadium. Cloth bags and cloth banners are allowed to be used by the fans and for disposal of wastes they have put green and blue bins inside and outside the venue for wet and dry wastes respectively.
2. Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad: A Colossus of Modern Cricket
Source: Wikipedia
Earlier it was known as the Sardar Patel Stadium and Motera Stadium and it remains not only the largest cricket stadium in India but it also has the distinction of being the largest cricket stadium in the world displacing the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
It is interesting to start with the commitment of scale – the Narendra Modi Stadium dwarfs just about everything else in terms of size. Their seating capacity stands at an astonishing 132,000 which is way in excess of the Melbourne Cricket Ground which has a capacity of 104,000 only.
Earlier built in 1983, the stadium had a capacity of 49,000 seats which were also replaced. It was torn down in 2015 and subsequently rebuilt and was reopened in 2020 proving India’s place in the world cricket arena.
Some of these features include a round shaped roof that hoods the stadium and its stands giving shade to both the fans and the players. It has four dressing rooms, seventy six corporate boxes and adequate parking space for not less than three thousand cars.
The field of play measures a massive 180 meters in length for 150 meters in width with an enclosing 360-degree, large LED scoreboard that gives fans a closer view of the game.
Though primarily a cricket stadium, it is home to one of the most notable cricket museums in the country that presents the journey of Indian cricket and heroes. It has more than 2000 books and journals that cover a lot of information on cricket, thus is a haven for cricketers and scholars.
Even for young ambitious players, there is an indoor cricket academy where young talents are taught how to play this outstanding game by professional trainers. That is why the Narendra Modi Stadium is an embodiment of history, contemporary comforts, as well as the infrastructural provision for the nurturing of the future cricketing talents.
3. Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Source: Wikipedia
Every discourse related to Indian cricket stadium must start by mentioning the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The Eden Gardens was founded in 1864 and is the oldest and the second largest cricket ground in India with accommodation to a crowd of 80000. Cricket greats have graced the confines of Eden Gardens and some of the most defining moments in world cricket have been witnessed there such as the 1987 Cricket World Cup final and the 2016 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup final.
Eden gardens has a very special environment especially when there is an important event that happens involving the team – namely the Kolkata crowd is passionate, knowledgeable about cricket and has tremendous support for its team. The favourable conditions for cricket at Eden Gardens have not come without their fair share of overhauls to suit the contemporary needs of the game.
The last major redevelopment was done in 2020, and it has given it a modern feel that is akin to a high-quality sports stadium. The stands developed over the years are the Matigara Stand, the New Stand, the Burlton Park Stand, and the B. C. Roy Clubhouse, which is well-equipped with facilities that give an overall view of the playing field. This position is a floodlit stand, a modern electronic board, and a media centre that can accommodate up to 80 journalists for coverage of matches played at the stadium.
Eden Gardens would stand as the second-largest cricket stadium in terms of seating capacity after the recently constructed Sardar Patel Stadium in Gujarat.
4. Naya Raipur International Cricket Stadium
Source: Pinterest
The third largest cricket stadium in India and the fourth largest in the world is Naya Raipur International Cricket Stadium located in Chhattisgarh with a total seating facility of 65,000. The stadium was opened in the 2008 cricket season and is also called Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium which is actually dedicated to Veer Narayan Singh Binjhwar, a landlord of Sonakhan who was involved actively for the freedom fighters of India in 1857 in Chhattisgarh.
5. Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad
Source: Sportmatik
The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium is located in Hyderabad. This stadium has been built over a land area of approximately 16 acres and thus the capacity of this stadium can reach up to approximately 55,000 spectators that indeed places this stadium among one the biggest of India.
Constructed in 2003, the stadium has been designed by the architect Sashi Prabh; the two ends of the stadium include the Pavilion End and the North End or the VVS Laxman End as is fondly called after the local cricketing icon.
Out of the two, it is the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium that is perhaps most famous for its batting friendly conditions. The flat track usually leads to high-scoring games and thus introduces thrilling games that are exciting for the fans. Although at times this characteristic has had the adverse effect of the stadium not being chosen to host high profile matches the ground is exceptional when it comes to the performance of batsmen who hope to improve their average.
6. Holkar Stadium, Madhya Pradesh
Source: Wikipedia
This stadium has a seating capacity of more than 30,000 people and belongs to the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, this has been a home ground for domestic and international cricket.
Also popularly known as the Holkar Stadium, it has staged a good number of international games for all the three versions of the game. Its facilities are among the best ones in the country and the pitch is manicured to perfection and this has however contributed to players and fan preference.
7. Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Source: Ekana Sportz City
Ekana Cricket Stadium is located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Built in 2017, this new stadium was recaptive and renamed as Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in the memory of the late, former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Currently, it has a seating capacity of 50,000 and thus makes it to the list of the third-largest international cricket stadium in India. The name of the stadium tells us a lot about how cricket and nationalism intermingle in India where cricket is something more than mere sport It is a part of the whole social and political landscape.
8. JSCA International Cricket Stadium, Ranchi
Source: Times Now
JSCA International Cricket Stadium is located in Ranchi. This brand new centre does not only provide the event of cricket but also stunning scenery of this region.
The JSCA Stadium is also quite large and can hold up to 50000 people of which 40000 can sit with the help of 76 corporate boxes if needed. The major distinguishing feature of this stadium is from the geographical perspective as it is the only cricket ground in India that has hills on two sides with spectators on the east and west hills getting to enjoy wide-angle views of the matches.
Due to this kind of setting, the JSCA Stadium for cricket lovers is not only characterized by the infrastructure with proper facilities to support the sport and fans, but also the serenity of the nearby hills.
9. Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, Odisha
Source: Wikipedia
Barabati Stadium which is in Cuttack. Being one of the oldest cricket grounds of the country, Barabati has been in existence since 1958 and has always seen the touring sides, much before it started hosting international cricket.
It features an interesting mix of old and new world as it stands owned and managed by the Odisha Cricket Association and is home to the Odisha cricket team. Seated for about 45000 spectators, this ground has seen many great moments of football played out in the past years.
The existence and usefulness of the stadium in Indian cricket can tell about the role of the facility in the association of cricket in the eastern part of India.
10. Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur
Source: Wikipedia
The Nagpur based Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium is the point of interest to visit where cricket fans can get the opportunity to watch cricket matches in the largest cricket ground of India according to the field area. International players found the huge boundaries that range from 80 yards straight to 85 yards square a great challenge to the batsmen and fielders.
Constructed in 2008, the stadium provides a place to view to 45,000 people. Its large ground has earned it the accolade of being a pure test cricket ground because it levels the playing field for bat and ball.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while touring through seven sacred buildings of India in terms of cricket, it is possible to state that they are not only sport facilities but also monuments that reveal profound meaning and contain religious significance.
Classical Cricketing venues such as Chepauk and Eden gardens and behemoth cricketing bases such as the Narendra Modi Stadium are an epitome of India’s cricketing voyage. They are emphatic statements of the passion for the game, development of new facilities, and the general quest for this nation on the international circuit.
Every ground has a tale to tell – of the thrillers, the screamers, the record setters and the record stealers, of dreams fulfilled and of shattered dreams.
