February 25th, 2019 | Updated on March 22nd, 2023
The passion for cricket never fades away. People do their best to have all the information that is required to keep in pace with the changes in the game.
In fact, records and dates of upcoming matches are few things that such cricket buffs keep a track of. World over there are many cricket stadiums which have been created just so the fans are able to enjoy the game in the best manner possible.
Not only that some of the stadiums are equipped with the best technology to make the entire experience valuable. We bring to you a list of the top 10 biggest cricket stadiums in the world. You would be amazed to see the fervor of this game has a worldwide reach too.
1. Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is regarded as Australia’s premier sporting venue. For over one hundred years, it has played host to many of the country’s biggest cricket and Australian Rules Football matches, and many other significant sporting contests besides. It was, in fact, even the centrepiece of the Olympic Games of 1956. The ‘G (as it is affectionately known by the people of Melbourne) is located a short distance to the east of the city’s CBD and is easily accessible by both public transport and by foot; it is common, for example, for business people to walk to the arena after work to watch the second session of day-night cricket internationals.
Prior to a series of developments in the 1980s and 1990s, it possessed a capacity of around 125,000; since that time, the extension of individual seating to virtually all of its reaches has reduced that figure to somewhere closer to 97,000. In short, it is an imposing stadium: the three-tiered Great Southern Stand (completed in 1992) bounds the perimeter of one half of the ground and holds close to 50,000 people; there are also vast banks of seating in the Ponsford Stand, Olympic Stand and Members’ Reserve. It is also replete with a Gallery of Sport, two giant electronic scoreboards, and a vast array of corporate and media facilities.
Notwithstanding the fact that various curators drew fire from players and spectators alike for producing a succession of wearing, low bouncing surfaces through the 1980s and early 1990s, pitches at the MCG have, for most of its history, generally facilitated well-balanced contests between bat and ball. No better has this been exemplified than infamous matches in its recent past such as the 1982-83 Test between Australia and England; the thrilling Australia-New Zealand decider in 1987-88; and the 1992 World Cup Final between Pakistan and England.
2. Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata, India established in 1864. It is the oldest cricket stadium in India.Eden Gardens is also known as the “Mecca of Indian cricket” and it is India’s most popular and largest cricket stadium. The first cricket match was organized at this stadium between India and England as a Test match on 5th to 8th January, 1934.
Redesign and construction of the Eden Gardens, an iconic and historical stadium. VMS assisted the client with a fast-paced construction program to beat the World Cup hosting deadline. The spectacular curved roof unifies the facility developed in bits & pieces over decades. The stadium rebuild consisted of dismantling half of the existing stadium to be reconstructed with new facilities. The new Eden Garden is compliant for first class international cricket under the ICC rules.
The ground underwent renovation ahead of the 2011 World Cup, during which it was slated to host four group-stage matches, including one between India and England on February 27. However, on January 27, the ICC announced the India v England game would be shifted out of Eden Gardens as they felt the ground would not be ready in time.
3. Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium
The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium or Naya Raipur International Cricket Stadium is a cricket field in the city of Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India.
The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket stadium, also known as the Raipur International Cricket stadium, was inaugurated in 2008. The stadium is located in the city of Naya Raipur in Chhattisgarh.
The stadium hosted it’s first match when the Canadian national cricket team played against the Chhattisgarh state team in 2010. It was also named second host venue for Delhi Daredevils in the 2013 Indian Premier League and hosted two games for Delhi.
With a capacity of 65,000 spectators, the stadium hosted eight games during the 2014 ICC Champions League T20 trophy. The wicket at the Raipur stadium generally offers a good contest between the bat and the ball. The track allows the ball to come onto the bat while providing some assistance to spinners and pacers alike.
4. Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium
The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium is the principal cricket stadium in Hyderabad, Telangana, India and is the home ground of the Hyderabad Cricket Association.
It is located in Uppal, an eastern suburb of the city. It has a capacity of 55,000 spectators presently and extends across 16 acres (65,000 m2) of land. The ends are named Pavilion End and North End. On the retirement of VVS Laxman, the HCA decided to honour the state hero by naming the North End after him.
HCA’s previous home ground was the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in the Fateh Maidan sports complex at Basheerbagh in central Hyderabad. The ground belonged to the Sports Authority of Telangana State and HCA had limited operating autonomy over this ground.
Moreover, due to its smaller size, it soon came to be known as a high-scoring ground and so Hyderabad was not considered for many high-profile cricket matches in India.
In 2003, the proposal for a new stadium was submitted by HCA to the government of erstwhile
Andhra Pradesh, then headed by N. Chandrababu Naidu. The proposal was quickly cleared and HCA was allocated a budget for the same. The government also identified a large piece of land suitable for the project at Uppal.
Most of the funding for the project came after an open auction of the stadium’s title was held. Visaka Industries Limited won the auction with a bid price of Rs. 65,00,00,000. A sum of Rs. 43,00,00,000 was paid in advance and the stadium was named as Visakha International Cricket Stadium in 2004.
By 2005 when most of the stadium was built, it was ready to host its first ODI Match between India and South Africa. However, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh decided to change the name of the stadium to Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in memory of the former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi.
Following this decision, HCA was required to pay Visakha Industries six times the contract price in accordance with the contract clauses governing any subsequent renaming of the stadium or the Visakha name not remaining attached to the stadium. HCA however, following some negotiations by Government, got away by paying an amount of Rs. 43,00,00,000, i.e. the contract price only.
The ground has hosted three Tests to date resulting in two India victories and one draw.
5. Greenfield International Stadium
The Sports Hub, Trivandrum, commonly known as Greenfield International Stadium, and formerly known as Trivandrum International Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Kerala, used mainly for association football and cricket. The stadium is located at Kariavattom in Thiruvananthapuram city, Kerala, India. It was built on 36 acres of land leased by the Kerala University for Rs 94 lakhs per year for a period of 15 years. It is India’s first DBOT (design, build, operate and transfer) model outdoor stadium. The Greenfield Stadium became India’s 50th international cricket venue on 7 November 2017 when it hosted a T20I against New Zealand. On 1 November 2018, the venue hosted its first ODI.
Facilities
The ground is designed such that it can be used for international cricket and football. The playing arena in the stadium has been constructed in line with FIFA regulations and International Cricket Council norms. It has a seating capacity for 50,000 spectators.
The stadium has been demarcated into four zones, where the north zone is dedicated for cricket, the east zone for football and each zone has a players’ lounge, gymnasium, media centre and stock room. Shopping malls and a food court are placed in the south zone. The adjoining pavilion accommodates the latest facilities for squash, volleyball, basketball, table tennis and an Olympic size swimming pool.
The first fully eco-friendly stadium in India, it is surrounded by green plants and also has a rain water harvesting facility. The State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and Pollution Control Board have commended the builders for the green initiatives taken.
The stadium is 13.3km from Trivandrum International Airport, 14.4km from Trivandrum Central Railway Station and Central Bus Station Thiruvananthapuram.
6. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
The ground was opened in 1982 and is one of numerous venues cross India to be named after the country’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Thanks to massive double-tiered stands and very large field of play (enabling both football, athletics and cricket) it could accommodate even 100,000 in its best days.
However, it wasn’t used too often over the years. No football team has claimed tenancy in the long run with even the national side-splitting games between many venues. Some cricket games also didn’t fill the calendar year after year. On the other hand – the stadium hosted its first large concert before many others, in 1988. It was when Sting, Bruce Springsteen and Tracy Chapman (among others) came to promote human rights awareness with Amnesty International.
Good days returned to the dilapidating stadium in 2006 as international competition for redevelopment was won by German GMP Architekten. Completely new roof based on massive steel rings surrounding the stands covered stands which were also extensively refurbished.
Capacity dropped, but by 2010 the ground was ready to host its first Commonwealth Games. And despite scandal surrounding lack of maintenance just several months later, the stadium was given another big event, 2013 South Asian Games.
7. DY Patil Sports Stadium
Mumbai’s third, and newest, full-fledged cricket stadium stands out for its design and its spectator-friendly seating arrangements. The capacity of 55,000 makes it the second-largest cricket ground in India after the Eden Gardens and, to make sure each spectator has a comfortable and clear viewing experience, the entire ground has bucket seats and cantilever roofs that eliminate the need for columns.
Owned by the DY Patil Sports Academy, the ground lies inside the DY Patil University campus in Nerul, about 50 kilometers east of Mumbai. The brainchild of Vijay Patil, the patron of the institution, the stadium cost Rs one billion (US$ 25 million) and was constructed by Hafeez Contractor, a leading Indian architect.
The stadium is located at a considerable distance from the heart of the city but that is also an advantage, as space is no constraint – it even has a small practice ground with 12 wickets.
The pitch and outfield have been prepared with plenty of care as well – 200 tonnes of soil was flown in from South Africa to ensure a bouncy and true pitch. The outfield in the main ground is covered with sand-based grass, which not only prevents player injuries but also has the advantage of easy drainage. A drainage system below the main surface will help faster dispersal of water. The four floodlight towers are taller than normal, making sure that there is no glare in the batsman’s eye during the evening games.
8. Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval remains one of cricket’s most picturesque Test venues despite recent developments to increase the capacity and upgrade the facilities. Its position, situated amid gardens and trees and with the spire of St Peter’s Cathedral as a backdrop, gives it a quintessentially English feel.
The ground opened in 1873 amid bitter local disputes over boundaries and money, and in its early years the pitches were often dreadful. Things gradually improved, although Adelaide’s tendency to attract controversy remained. In 1884-85 it staged its first Test, but that was dogged by arguments with the English tourists over appearance money and who would umpire. In 1932-33, the Bodyline affair reached its nadir at The Oval when Bill Woodfull and Bert Oldfield were struck, and on the third day mounted police patrolled to keep the 50, 962 spectators in order. But these days the pitches are true and disputes rarer.
The ground has hosted many sports other than cricket – the biggest attendance there was 62,543 to watch the 1965 SANFL final between Port Adelaide and Sturt – as well as concerts.
The ground is a true oval, which makes straight sixes a rarity but ones square of the wicket more common. The western public and members grandstands and the famous scoreboard are all items listed on the City of Adelaide Heritage Register, and two news stands finished in 2003 have raised the capacity to 34,000 (for football) and 32,000 for cricket.
9. Ekana International Cricket Stadium
Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium is an international standard cricket stadium in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It is a stadium under public-private partnership, built during Samajwadi Party’s Government led by Akhilesh Yadav.
Not a single international cricket match has been organized so far in this stadium. The first cricket match held at this stadium was league match of Dilip Trophy 2017-18.
10. Docklands Stadium
Docklands Stadium, also known by naming rights sponsorship as Marvel Stadium, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Decision to build a new stadium in downtown docks of Melbourne was officially made in 1996. Contrary to most sports venues across Australia, this one was planned from the start with Australian rules football at its heart. This resulted in the field being as long as 160 meters.
Around the oval field three tiers of seating were built (over 50,000 capacity) with the lowest one being Australia’s first fully retractable system. This means the front rows can be moved towards the centre of the stadium by 18 meters on each side. However this solution is rarely used due to high cost and its influence on turf condition.
Even without the retractable seating grass quality was questioned on numerous occasions, owing in part to the stadium being Australia’s first one with opening roof limiting ventilation and sunlight access. On the other hand, the sliding roof (first across the southern hemisphere) made the stadium weather-proof, allowing it hold a wide variety of events without worrying about rainfall. Hovering 38m above the field, the roof takes only 8 minutes to open/close.
Construction of the arena took A$460 million ($270m) and 2.5 years to complete. Starting in 2000, the ground has been used by no less than 4 (!) AFL clubs every season, peaking at 6. Rugby and soccer also have their regular spot with Melbourne Victory playing no less than 5 games per season here. Since 2015 the stadium has also joined the Speedway Grand Prix series.
