The crowd and a live audience are two important aspects for any sport to survive. Likewise, cricket is no different, as fans in the stadiums not only strengthen the sport commercially but also motivate players to perform amidst a packed audience. The game of cricket is meant to be played in large and open stadiums. As a result, there's much more emphasis on enhancing the fan's experience of watching live cricket in some of the largest stadiums that are being built all around the world.
Some of the newly constructed sporting arenas for cricket are built with modern infrastructure boasting of a much bigger seating capacity. A recent example is the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad which is the world's largest cricket stadium in terms of its seating capacity.
We take a look at the top ten largest Cricket Stadiums in the world as per their seating capacity and focus on their history and some characteristic features:
Contents
- 1 List of World's Largest Cricket Stadiums
- 2 1. Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad | Motera Stadium
- 3 2. Melbourne Cricket Ground | Melbourne
- 4 3. Eden Gardens | Kolkata
- 5 4. Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Cricket Stadium | Chhattisgarh
- 6 5. Perth Stadium (Optus Stadium) | Perth
- 7 6. Adelaide Oval | Adelaide
- 8 7. Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium | Hyderabad
- 9 8. Greenfield International Stadium | Kerala
- 10 9. Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow
- 11 10. Sydney Cricket Ground | Sydney
List of World's Largest Cricket Stadiums
| S.NO | Stadium | Venue | Seating Capacity |
| 1. | Sardar Patel Stadium (Motera Stadium) | Ahmedabad, India | 1,10,000 |
| 2. | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Melbourne | 1.00.024 |
| 3. | Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 80,000 |
| 4. | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Cricket Stadium | Raipur, Chhattisgarh | 65,000 |
| 5. | Perth Stadium (Optus Stadium) | Perth | 60,000 |
| 6. | Adelaide Oval | Adelaide | 55,317 |
| 7. | Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium | Uppal, Hyderabad | 55,000 |
| 8. | Greenfield International Stadium | Trivandrum, Kerala | 50,000 |
| 9. | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | 50,000 |
| 10 | Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) | Sydney | 48,000 |
1. Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad | Motera Stadium
The newest entrant in this list is the Motera Stadium, also known as the Sardar Patel Stadium located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The re-constructed stadium is set to host its maiden international fixture in the India vs England Test series 2021. It will host the third Test of the series which is slated to be a Pink-Ball (D/N) Test. Before re-construction, the ground has played host to 12 Tests, 23 ODIs, and 1 T20I between 1983 and 2014.
Motera Stadium – the largest cricket stadium in the world, has a seating capacity of 1,10,000. The ground was demolished by the Gujarat Cricket Association in 2014 and has been under re-construction ever since. In February 2020, Motera Stadium hosted its first major event after re-construction, called ‘Namaste Trump', welcoming the then US President Donald Trump.
ALSO READ Interesting Facts About Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad
2. Melbourne Cricket Ground | Melbourne
A stadium with a storied history, Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is now the second-largest cricket stadium in the world with a seating capacity of 1,00,024 people. The historic ground in Melbourne was built in 1853 and eventually hosted the first-ever Test match in cricket history in 1877 between Australia and England. The ground has so far hosted 113 Tests along with 149 ODIs and 13 T20Is. Every year, MCG also plays host to the Boxing Day Test on December 26, a significant event in the sporting calendar.
3. Eden Gardens | Kolkata
One of the most iconic grounds in India, Eden Gardens is located in Kolkata. It is often regarded as the Mecca of Indian cricket and was the first stadium to be built in India in 1864. It hosted India's second home Test in 1934 against England and ever since has hosted 41 more Tests till 2019. The last Test at Eden Gardens was India's first-ever Pink-Test against Bangladesh in November 2019. With a seating capacity of 80,000, it is the second-largest cricket stadium in India after the newly built Motera Stadium.
The stadium has seen numerous glorious moments in Indian cricket history unfold including the iconic Test in 2001 against Australia. It has also hosted 30 ODIs including the 1987 World Cup Final between Australia and England.
4. Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Cricket Stadium | Chhattisgarh
This 65,000-spectator capacity stadium is located at Raipur in Chhattisgarh and is yet to host any international match. With world facilities available at the premises, it won't be a surprise if Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Cricket Stadium gets a game sooner or later. However, the stadium has hosted a few sporadic IPL games since 2013 as the home venue for the Delhi-based team along with 8 CLT20 games in 2014.
5. Perth Stadium (Optus Stadium) | Perth
The Perth Stadium in Western Australia is the second-largest cricket stadium in Australia after MCG. With a capacity of over 60,000, the Optus Stadium in Perth is home to the Perth Scorchers team in the Big Bash League. Most of the cricket matches in Perth have now found a new home after switching bases from WACA Stadium in 2017. The first-ever international fixture at this Stadium took place in January 2018 before it hosted India and Australia for its first Test match later in the same year.
ALSO READ 5 Stadiums that can host T20 World Cup Final in 2021
6. Adelaide Oval | Adelaide
The iconic Adelaide Oval ground in Australia is the next largest cricket stadium in the world. It is one of the most picturesque stadiums and was established in the year 1871. It hosted its first Test between Australia & England in 1884 and has witnessed 79 international games been played at this historic venue. The stadium has also hosted 85 ODIs and 5 T20Is. The first Pink-Ball Test between Australia and New Zealand in 2015 was also played at the Adelaide Oval.
Adelaide Oval can hold up to 55,317 live audiences making it the world's sixth-largest cricket stadium.
7. Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium | Hyderabad
The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad ranks sixth in the list of the world's largest cricket stadium. The Stadium was established in 2003 while it saw its maiden international fixture unfold in 2005 when India took on South Africa in an ODI in 2005. The ground has hosted a total of 5 Tests, 6 ODIs, and two T20Is. Owned by the Hyderabad Cricket Association, the Rajiv Gandhi Int'l Stadium is also the home ground for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.
With a seating capacity of nearly 55,000, the stadium has witnessed two of the most fascinating IPL finals in 2017 and 2019. In IPL 2019, Hyderabad Cricket Association also won the award for best pitch and ground.
8. Greenfield International Stadium | Kerala
The Greenfield International Stadium in Kerala is one such sporting arena that hasn't hosted enough international cricket matches. This stadium is situated in Trivandrum and is used majorly for Football. It can hold a seating capacity of nearly 50,000 people and is one of the main sporting centers in the state. Since 2017, it has hosted 2 T20Is and a solitary ODI. In 2017, it became India's 50th International cricket venue when the hosts played against New Zealand in a T20I fixture.
9. Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow
Ekana International Cricket Stadium, also known as the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, is one of the most recently built cricket stadiums in India. With world-class facilities, the stadium has been touted as one of the better cricket centers in the country. It boasts a seating capacity nearing 50,000 fans. After being developed in 2017, the stadium has hosted 3 ODIs, 1 Test, and 4 T20Is.
Ekana Cricket Stadium is the third home venue for Afghanistan in India. The home team played against West Indies in a limited-overs series at the same venue in 2019.
10. Sydney Cricket Ground | Sydney
The historic Sydney Cricket Ground is one of the oldest cricket grounds in the world. It was built in 1848 while the first Test between Australia and England was played at this turf in 1882. It is home to the Sydney Sixers in the BBL and New South Wales in Australia's first-class tournaments. The SCG, as it is usually called, offers a batting-friendly surface and has fittingly witnessed some of the high scoring contests across all formats.
To date, it has hosted 109 Tests, 159 ODIs, and 10 T20Is. It is the world's tenth-largest cricket stadium with a seating capacity of over 48,000 people.
