Even though cricket has its roots back in England, Indians have made the sport their own. From the 1983 ODI World Cup win to the 2024 T20 World Cup victory, Indian cricket team fans have rooted for the Men in Blue wholeheartedly.
And it’s these die-hard fans that turn up in huge numbers whenever there is a cricket match scheduled in India. You can see the whole stadium painted in blue.
India has been home to more than 50 international cricket stadiums, and we have some of the biggest grounds situated in our country.
Here, we’ll glance at the top 5 largest cricket stadiums in India.
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5. Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow
Ekana Cricket Stadium is the fifth-largest cricket stadium in India. The venue can host 50000 fans during international cricket matches.
The stadium was inaugurated in 2017, and the next year, the venue hosted its first international match between India and the West Indies.
Situated in Lucknow, the stadium was later renamed Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. The modern facility brought back cricketing action to the city after 1994.
Apart from being a host to the Indian cricket team and Lucknow Super Giants, Ekana Cricket Stadium has served as the Afghanistan national cricket team’s home ground.
4. Greenfield International Stadium | Trivandrum
Trivandrum’s Greenfield International Stadium is a multi-purpose sporting facility. The stadium can host cricket and football games within ICC and FIFA playing guidelines.
When the Greenfield International Stadium plays host to a match, over 50000 fans can enjoy the action. The stadium is split into 4 zones, each consisting of a player lounge, gym, and media centre.
The construction of the fully eco-friendly stadium started in 2012, and the facility was opened in 2015. The venue first hosted football matches in 2015 and has been holding cricket matches since 2018.
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3. Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium | Chhattisgarh
The third stadium on this list is Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium. Located in Chattisgarh’s Raipur, the stadium became the 50th venue to host an international match in India.
The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium was established in 2008, with a seating capacity of 65000 people. The stadium boasts modern cricketing facilities, ensuring a wonderful viewing experience for fans.
Even though the stadium was opened in 2008, the Raipur-based ground hosted its first international game in 2023.
2. Eden Gardens | Kolkata
Before the Narendra Modi Stadium, Kolkata’s Eden Gardens was the largest cricket stadium in India. The iconic cricketing venue can host 68000 spectators at a time.
Eden Gardens was thrown open to the public in 1864, making it one of the oldest cricket grounds in India.
Since then, the stadium has undergone renovations many times, with its seating capacity recorded between 40000 and 100000. Some ODI matches hosted at the Eden Gardens in the late 1990s and early 2000s recorded figures of 1 lakh spectators.
Eden Gardens hosted its first international match between India and England in 1934 and has been host to many notable games since then.
1. Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad
When Narendra Modi Stadium hosted the 2023 ODI World Cup final, more than 1 lakh fans turned up to watch the match. The stadium’s sheer capacity makes it not just the largest cricket stadium in India but in the whole world.
Before claiming the top spot, the stadium could host around 55000 fans until 2015. But the picture changed in 2021 after the stadium underwent reconstruction between 2015 and 2020.
The Narendra Modi Stadium, situated in Ahmedabad, can accommodate a whopping 132000 spectators, surpassing Melbourne Cricket Ground’s (MCG) 100024 capacity to make it the largest cricket stadium in the world.
The state-of-the-art cricketing facility is spread over 63 acres of land, boasting 11 pitches and 4 dressing rooms.
Since its inauguration, the stadium has hosted prominent cricketing fixtures, including IPL finals in 2022 and 2023 and the ODI World Cup final in 2023.
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