Cricket is the second most followed sport by fans after football. That is why one can see a massive number of spectators during a live cricket match, irrespective of the format. The first priority of any cricket lover is to watch the game live from the ground, which turned out to be a huge capacity. But it also depends on the capacity of the stadium.
Just like the football grounds, the cricket grounds are also huge in terms of their sitting capacity. At a time, more than 50,000 to 1,00,000 spectators can enjoy the match live. However, the actual competition for the largest cricket stadium is between India and Australia. In this article, we will cover the list of the largest stadiums in the game of cricket.
3. Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India (68,000)
Eden Gardens is one of the most iconic grounds in the history of the game. It was established way back in 1864 and is the oldest cricket venue in India. This venue has a seating capacity of 66,000. It is often known as the “home of cricket” in India. It had a sitting capacity of 1,00,000 before 2010, but after that, due to reconstruction, the capacity was decreased to 66,000.
Notably, the largest attendance of 110,564 was registered on this ground during the semi-final match between India and Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup. Eden Gardens has hosted many ICC events already, including the ODI World Cup, Champions Trophy, T20 World Cup and many more. This stadium hosted the first ever match on January 5, 1934, which was a test match between India and England.
2. Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia (100,024)
The second largest cricket ground in the world is located in Australia. It is the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which was the largest venue for the game prior to the stadium being built in India. Well, the MCG is an enormous venue to play the game. Notably, this ground is also used to play football, so you can judge how big it will be. The MCG came into recognition in 1853, and since then, it has hosted some of the most iconic games in history.
The first cricket match on his ground was played in March 1877 between England and Australia. And since then, it has seen many epic rivalries between the two teams. The MCG holds that the seating capacity of this stadium is over 100,000, which is exact, 100,024. The highest recorded attendance at this venue is 100,022, during an NFL game in 2018.
1. Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, India (132,000) (Biggest ever in Cricket)
If you want to count the biggest stadiums in the world, this venue will surely top the list. It will not be a wrong statement to say that this venue can even host the entire city that you are living in. The Narendra Modi Stadium, which is situated in Ahmedabad, India, is the world’s largest cricket stadium. It was built in 1983 but was reconstructed in 2006. However, it was closed in 2015 and then reopened in February 2020 with a totally new look.
Earlier, it was known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium and Motera Cricket Stadium. It has a whopping’ seating capacity of 132,000 in total, which is 30,000 more than the second highest. The highest recorded capacity came in the final of the IPL 2022, which was 104,859. It hosted the first ever match in November 1983, which was a red-ball game between India and West Indies.
List of Largest Cricket Stadiums in the World
Ground | Capacity | City | Country | Home Teams |
---|---|---|---|---|
Narendra Modi Stadium | 132,000 | Ahmedabad | India | India, Gujarat, Gujarat Titans |
Melbourne Cricket Ground | 100,024 | Melbourne | Australia | Australia, Victoria, Melbourne Stars |
Eden Gardens | 68,000 | Kolkata | India | India, Bengal, Kolkata Knight Riders |
Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh | 65,400 | Raipur | India | India, Chhattisgarh, Delhi Daredevils |
Perth Stadium | 61,266 | Perth | Australia | Australia, Western Warriors, Perth Scorchers |
Rajiv Gandhi Stadium | 55,000 | Hyderabad | India | India, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Deccan Chargers |
Greenfield International | 55,000 | Thiruvananthapuram | India | India, Kerala cricket team |
Adelaide Oval | 53,583 | Adelaide | Australia | Australia, Southern Redbacks, Adelaide Strikers |
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana | 50,000 | Lucknow | India | India, Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Super Giants |
M. A. Chidambaram | 50,000 | Chennai | India | India, Tamil Nadu, Chennai Super Kings |