When it comes to the biggest cricket stadiums in the World, what we can imagine is the lush green grounds somewhere in Australia or in some parts of the Indian sub-continent. Clearing the rope becomes quite a daunting task for the batsmen if the boundaries are bigger and wider in size. At the same time, it becomes a bit tiring and hectic for the fielders to chase the ball of a ball is being hit for a beautiful drive or a flick shot.
Not just that these are the biggest cricket grounds, these grounds also some have historical records and notable events on their names. Apart from the bigger boundaries, some of the grounds are also known for their highest seating capacity. So let’s peek through the top 5 biggest cricket stadiums in the world:
1. Sardar Patel Stadium (Motera Stadium)- Ahmedabad, India
Capacity- 110,000 Spectators
Built- 12 November 1983
Renovated- 24 February 2020
Construction Cost- 800 Crores
End names- Adani Pavilion End, GMDC End
Touted to be the largest cricket ground in the World, Sardar Patel Stadium in Gujarat was built in 1983 but underwent an expansion in 2017. After its opening on 23rd February 2020, it surmounted the top position of being the largest cricket ground in the world. The “Namaste Trump” event inaugurated the renovated stadium. It has a splendid field size of 162 yards x 170 yards. The Gujrat Cricket Association holds the ownership of this ground. The ground has by far hosted a summative 36 international matches which include 12 Tests, 23 ODI, and 1 T20I.
Momentus performances including Kapil Dev’s 9 wickets in a single innings which helped him in surpassing the record of Sir Richard Hadlee and Sachin Tendulkar becoming the first cricketer to cross the 18,000 runs mark during the 2011 World Cup tournament took place here.
2. Melbourne Cricket Ground- East Melbourne, Australia
Capacity- 100,024 Spectators
Built- 1853
Renovated- 2011-2013
Construction Cost- $ 610 Million
End names- Members End, Great Southern Stand End
Before the Motera Stadium took over it, the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground was deemed the largest cricket ground in the world. It is popular by the name of ‘The G’. The ground located in Melbourne, Victoria falls under the management of Melbourne Cricket Club. The oval field has an impressive size of 171m x 146m. Its heritage is 167 years old. Its first-ever cricket was played way back on 30 September 1854. Since then it has come a long way. From witnessing the leadership of English cricket team first Test captain Lillywhite to providing a stage for the rising stars of cricketers with the likes of KL Rahul, the ground has seen it all. Many players consider this Australian ground as the citadel of cricket.
The ground has been a scene for the century scoring of legendary batsmen Sir Donald Bradman who scored a record total of 9 Test centuries on this ground. Sir Jack Hobbs smashed his memorable 154 runs during The Ashes series in 1925 on this very ground.
Besides numerous cricket World Cup and tournaments, the Australian National Heritage fame ground has had the honours of hosting the biggest sporting event, Summer Olympics, and FIFA qualifiers to name a few.
3. Eden Gardens- Kolkata, India
Capacity- 80,000 Spectators
Built- 1864
Renovated- 2011
Construction Cost- 200 Crores
End names- High Court End, Pavilion End
More than 150 years old, Eden Gardens was is one of the oldest and largest cricket stadiums in the World. Eden Garden is known as the “Mecca of Indian cricket” because of being the first-ever completely built cricket ground in India. The ground was built in 1864 and is under the control of the Cricket Association of Bengal. Eden Garden comes third in the list of the largest cricket grounds in the World after Motera and Melbourne cricket ground. Earlier, the ground had the capacity to accommodate over 1,00,000 people at a time until 2011. But after its renovation in 2011, the seating capacity was limited to 80,000.
Eden Garden hosted the first-ever International match between India and England in 1934. Followed by the first ODI game on 18th February 1987 between India and Pakistan during Pakistan’s tour of India in 1987. The first T20I International was played at the Eden Garden on 29th October 2011 between England and India. Eden Garden as hosted so far hosted 15 World Cup matches- 6 Cricket World Cup matches in 1987, 1996 & 2011. Five T20I matches in the 2016 T20 World Cup. Two Women’s World Cup matches in 1978 & 1997.
Apart from the International matches, Eden Garden also hosts Indian Premier League matches and Domestic circuit games. Besides, Eden Garden is also the home ground of the Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders and Bengal State Team.
4. Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Raipur, India
Capacity- 65,000 Spectators
Built- 11 September 2008
Construction Cost- NA
End names- North End & South End.
Inaugurated in 2008, Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium is not just one of the biggest stadium in India but also one of the biggest cricket stadiums in the whole World. The stadium has been named after Veer Narayan Singh Binjhwar who spearheaded the 1857 war of Independence. The construction of the stadium began in 2001 and completed by September 2008. Located in Raipur, it is the third-largest cricket ground in India. The stadium can accommodate around 65,000 spectators and has all the modern arenas of the International standards.
The stadium hosted its first international match on November 21, 2010, between the Canada National Cricket team and Chhattisgarh Cricket Team. It was a successfully conducted ODI game that lured the attention of the former Indian cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan. Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium has also hosted IPL matches as it served as the second home ground of the former IPL team Delhi Daredevils.
Moreover, the stadium has also hosted Champions League T20 matches in 2014 including two group stage games and six Qualifier matches.
5. Perth Stadium (Optus Stadium)- Perth, Australia
Capacity- 60,000- 65,000 Spectators
Built- 21 January 2018 (official)
Construction Cost- $700 million
Langer Stand End & Member’s End
Also known as the Optus Stadium due to the naming sponsorship. The fifth in the list of the biggest cricket stadiums in the world, the Perth Cricket ground was built in late 2017 and officially completed and opened on January 21, 2018. The Perth Stadium is the second-largest cricket ground in Australia after the Melbourne Cricket Ground. For cricket matches, the ground can accommodate around 60,000-65,000 spectators. The ground has recorded the highest attendance of 61,721 spectators during a rugby match between Australia and New Zealand. Apart from cricket, Perth Cricket ground also hosts the Rugby and Football.
The first Cricket match played at the Perth Cricket Ground was a T20 match between the Perth Scorchers and the England Lions on 11 December 2017. The ground is also the home ground of the Big Bash League team Perth Scorchers who previously played at the WACA Ground.
