Introduction
Cricket is loved in India like no other sport. It is much more than a sport in this country of 1.4 Billion people. Cricketers are revered and loved as Demigods while the sport itself is treated as a Religion. Such is the craze for the sport and its popularity, and the country holds the record for having the most stadiums in the world. The record sits at a staggering 52 Stadiums. Every cricket enthusiast in the country dreams of watching a live match from inside the stadium surrounded by thousands of Fans. But even these stadiums, which are no less than holy places for the people of this country, have differences among them.
Some Stadiums are Loud, others are Large, others have some of the best pitches while others offer an other-worldly view and backdrop. One thing is for certain though, no stadium is really lesser than the other. While sizes may differ, the experience itself never does.
We will base the following list on the capacity of the respective stadiums. Another list could very well made with respect to the boundary sizes in each stadium. The reason we won’t be including that list is because Official Boundary Sizes are not always revealed to the Public. But in a relative sense, that list would surely include Holkar Stadium in Indore, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, and the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the Top 10 Smallest Cricket Stadiums in India.
10 Smallest Cricket Stadiums In India
10. Maharashtra Cricket Association(MCA) Stadium, Pune
At number 10 is a relatively newer Stadium which was established in 2012 and hosted its first ever International Match in the same year. Pune’s premier Stadium has a capacity of 42,700 and has seen some Epic moments in recent times. In the past it has been the home to Pune Warriors India, Rising Pune Supergiants and the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. It also witnessed Virat Kohli’s 48th ODI Century during the 2023 ODI WC and an epic Run Chase against England which saw local hero Kedar Jadhav and King Kohli score centuries in 2017.
9. Wankhede, Mumbai
Yes! You read that right. One of India’s most iconic and best stadiums is also one of India’s smallest in terms of Capacity. The Venue which has seen arguably some of the greatest moments in Indian cricket team history houses only 33,006 fans. The home to Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Mumbai’s premier stadium has witnessed the Indian team lift the ODI World Cup in 2011. This stadium also witnessed the great Sachin Tendulkar’s 200th and farewell test in 2013 and more recently in 2023 Wankhede witnessed Virat Kohli surpassing his idol and scoring his 50th ODI turn.
8. M. Chinnaswamy, Bangalore
The Chinnaswamy stadium is the greatest example of small stadiums often being the largest. Situated in Bangalore and the home of RCB it is often the loudest and the most rockers stadium in the IPL. With a capacity of around 40,000 fans, the atmosphere it creates thanks to the stands being close to the boundary line is absolutely magical and overwhelming for the home and away teams. Established in 1969, Chinnaswamy has seen some Epic encounters over the years and is now a premier stadium in Indian cricket regularly hosting International and domestic matches. More recently rcb’s home ground has witnessed some of the most Epic clashes in the Indian Premier League.
7. Chandigarh Cricket Stadium, Chandigarh
Next on the list is the Chandigarh Cricket Stadium which is home to both Punjab and Haryana. Situated in the green and clean union territory of Chandigarh, this stadium can hold a crowd of up to 30,000 fans. In India it is most well known for hosting a couple of World Cup matches from the ODI WC in 2011. Moreover, this stadium is equipped with modern floodlights which allows it to host day and night matches whenever needed. Also known as the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium it was established all the way back in 1966.
6. Holkar Stadium, Indore
The Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holkar stadium situated in Indore has a very unique characteristic tied to it. This is because the floodlights of this iconic stadium are shaped to form the letter m which represents the state of Madhya Pradesh. The Holkar stadium has a crowd capacity of 30,000 same as the Chandigarh Cricket Stadium, though this stadium was established much earlier in 1990 and hosted its first international match in 2006 which was an ODI between India and England. Before its establishment all the way back in 1926 Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holkar undertook the rains of the Holkar state and started the construction of the cricket club and ground. It is only here that the Holkar stadium is now built upon.
5. I.S. Bindra Stadium, Mohali
The Inderjeet Bindra stadium situated in Mohali Punjab houses a total of 28,000 fans in full capacity and is considered one of the most beautiful stadiums in India stop the home of the Punjab king in the IPL this stadium has witnessed some of the most iconic clashes in international cricket. Established in the year 1993, the I.S. Bindra Punjab Cricket Association stadium was the venue where Virat Kohli rescued India from the perils of defeat and secured the famous run chase against Australia in the 2016 T20 World Cup.
4. Saurashtra Cricket Stadium, Rajkot
The Saurashtra cricket stadium is one of the newest stadiums on this list and was established in the year 2008 and hosted its first international game in January 2013 when India played against England in an ODI. Also known as the Niranjan Shah Stadium it hosts 28,000 fans most same as the I.S. Bindra Stadium. Situated in Rajkot it is the home venue for the former IPL team Gujarat Lions.
3. ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam
Up next on the list is the ACA-VDCA stadium situated in Visakhapatnam. With a seating capacity of 27,500 people, this stadium was established in 2003. 2 years later it had the privilege of hosting the all-important India-Pakistan game making it the first international game to be played in the Vizag stadium. Due to its location on the Eastern coastline of India in the state of Andhra Pradesh ACA-VDCA, also called the Doctor YSR Reddy stadium is highly affected by the moisture in the air and swings the game in fever of the bowlers.
2. Sawai Mansingh, Jaipur
The Sawai Mansingh stadium is one of India’s smallest cricket stadiums and ranks at number 2 on our list. Having a crowd capacity of only 23,185 people, this stadium situated in the Pink City, Rajasthan’s capital Jaipur, is the home ground for the first winners of the IPL Rajasthan royals. Established in the year 1969 the first international game the Sawai Mansingh Stadium hosted was an ODI between India and Pakistan on the day of Gandhi Jayanti in 1983. Interestingly in all of its history, this stadium has hosted only a single test match that being the 1987 clash between India versus Pakistan.
1. HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala
The award for the smallest stadium in India goes to the HPCA Stadium situated in the scenic valley of Dharamshala. This stadium is a testament to the fact that the size and capacity of a stadium do not matter when it comes to the beauty and aesthetics of a stadium. Undoubtedly India’s most beautiful stadium is natural between the Himalayan mountain range and offers an aesthetic backdrop to each and every spectator present inside the stadium. Established in the year 2003 the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium has a crowd capacity of only 23000 fans. Not only is the stadium situated at a high altitude but the matches that are played out on the fiesty Dharamshala pit also most of the time turn out to be high-octane encounters due to its favourable batting conditions.
Conclusion
The size or the capacity of the stadium truly does not matter when it comes to cricket. What actually matters is the experience one enjoys when watching live cricketing action inside the stadium. Then may it be the smallest cricket stadium in India or may it be the largest cricket stadium in India. Speaking from personal experience the Narendra Modi Stadium lacks the personality and atmosphere, which is never a problem at the Wankhede stadium. This just goes to show that every stadium has a different e factor which it brings and enhances the cumulative beauty of the sport.
