Are you wondering which is the smallest cricket stadium in India? Well, Cricket is practically a religion in India. This game is usually involved in every small talk or short conversation between people. Players in this nation are beloved by everyone, with one player even given the title of the “God of Cricket”.
With this statement, it is obvious that our cricket grounds are magic places. They are not just stadiums but places where you will witness each and every emotion of the people. This is where dreams are forged.
You can just feel the excitement in the air. Stadiums are not just venues for games, they are the second home for players who are representing their country at the highest level. In this article, we will explore some of the smallest cricket stadiums in India and discuss what makes them unique.
Smallest Cricket Stadiums in India (By Capacity)
India holds the record for having the most number of stadiums globally. There are a total of 52 active stadiums in India which is 30 more than the second-place holder, England, with only 22.
We realized the importance of fans in stadiums during the COVID period. Fans are the soul of the match. Here the smallest stadium means in terms of capacity and not in terms of boundary length.
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala
This magnificent stadium is located in the middle of the hills. It is the home ground for the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Team for Ranji Trophy matches and other domestic matches. The stadium regularly hosts some IPL matches as a home stadium for the Punjab Kings.
This beautiful and aesthetically pleasing stadium is the smallest cricket ground in India. During the winter months, you can witness the Himalayan mountains covered with snow along with the greenery of the mountains. The first international match played here was an ODI that was played between India and England on 27th January 2013.
The stadium holds a capacity of only 21,200 people and is known for its batting-friendly pitch. The HPCA Dharamshala Stadium is one of India’s most beautiful and smallest sporting venues.
Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Popularly known as the SMS stadium, Sawai Mansingh Stadium has been the home ground of Rajasthan Royals, in the Indian Premier League since 2008. It is named after Sawai Man Singh II, the former Maharaja of the State of Jaipur.
This stadium comes second in the list of smallest cricket stadiums in India. This particular stadium holds up to 23,185 people. This stadium might be a little small, but the cheers and roars of the fans are as loud as they can be.
Moreover, the pitch is said to be in favor of the bowlers as it allows them to bowl some good variations in pace bowling. The first ODI was played between the teams who are famous for their rivalry i.e. India and Pakistan in 1983.
This is also the ground where Virat Kohli made the fastest 100 for India in ODI. In the year 2024, SMS has hosted more than 4 IPL games where fans came in full motivation to support their home team, Rajasthan Royals.
Inderjit Singh Bindra Stadium, Mohali
With a seating capacity of 26,950, Inderjit Singh Bindra Stadium, Mohali is popularly referred to as the Mohali Stadium. Till 2023, it used to be home to the Punjab Kings team of the IPL.
It is named after the former BCCI president Inderjit Singh Bindra. This was the official stadium for all the International and domestic matches before this but, after the opening of the Maharaja Yadvindra Singh Stadium at Mullanpur, all the international matches are being conducted at Mullanpur only.
This stadium was pretty popular among the audiences, however, the floodlights there were a bit unconventional. The light pillars were very low in height making it difficult to play the matches during the evenings.
ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium
The ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium is also known as the Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy Andhra Cricket Association–Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association Cricket Stadium. It is primarily used as a ground for International cricket matches.
With a capacity for 27,500 spectators, this beautiful stadium has two tiers and is architectured in such a way that it avoids any restricted views. This pitch is known to be batsman-friendly.
The stadium hosted its first ODI match against Pakistan, in which the former captain of the Indian cricket team Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored his maiden one-day International century in 2005.
During the early 2010s, this stadium was the home ground for Deccan Chargers along with Sunrisers Hyderabad. It is situated in the Vishakhapatnam city of Andhra Pradesh. Being this near to the western coastline affects the condition of the ground in favor of bowlers due to moisture in the air.
Niranjan Shah Stadium
Niranjan Shah Stadium is the first solar-powered stadium in Gujarat. It is located in the city of Rajkot and is also known as the Khanderi Cricket Stadium.
The stadium can hold up to 28,000 people and is part of a larger sports complex that includes venues for other sports such as badminton, basketball, and volleyball as well. It is a state-of-the-art cricket stadium with a well-thought-out design and architecture.
This stadium is very well-liked by both the domestic and international teams as it has big dressing rooms that are lined with large, luxurious, cushioned seats. This solar-powered stadium contributes to a monthly saving of approximately Rs.54,600 in electricity bills.
Additionally, the stadium has plans for expanding its green power generation capabilities in the future. These measures are a part of the stadium’s approach to sustainability.
Holker Cricket Stadium
Located in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Holker Cricket Stadium is owned and operated by Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association. It was formerly known as the Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground.
The stadium is quite small and its square boundaries are only 56 meters long. It hosted its first One Day International in 2006. With a seating capacity of 30,000 spectators, this stadium is equipped with floodlights for night matches.
A beautiful and unique thing to notice is that the floodlights of the stadium are placed in such a way that it forms the shape of Alphabet “M”. This represents the state of Madhya Pradesh.
This stadium was established in 1990 by Maharaja Yashwant Rao Holker of Indore. The pitch is quite supportive for batsmen which enables them to score some good runs and for the spectators to witness occasional centuries and half-centuries.
Wankhede Stadium
Wankhede is an International cricket stadium in Mumbai, India. It is also the home ground for Mumbai Indians and houses the headquarters of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Indian Premier League (IPL).
With a seating of just 33,108 spectators, the stadium has been host to numerous high-profile cricket matches in the past including the historical final game of India vs Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup.
One of the highlights of the stadium is the suspended roofs. It is architectured in such a way that there is no beam or pillar support required to ensure a better view of the field.
The stadium has conducted more than 100 IPL matches for the home team of Mumbai Indians with a jam-packed stadium. The ground has always been hell for bowlers, however, the short boundary and quick outfield become beneficial factors for batters.
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
Also known as the Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium, the M. Chinnaswamy stadium is located in the Bangalore city of the Indian state of Karnataka. This stadium is the home ground of the Karnataka State Cricket team and IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.
This particular stadium was the first stadium in the world to use solar panels to generate the bulk of electricity needed to run the stadium. The stadium has 33,800 seats. The ground is small which means small boundaries, due to this batting teams often score high totals here.
The first-ever match here was played on 22 November 1974. And now, even after more than 50 years, this stadium is one of the best places to watch a T20 game. With the small boundaries and batting-friendly cricket pitch, you will see balls fly off into the stands almost every over.
Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium
This stadium was established in 1883 as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium and is the second oldest totally functional international cricket stadium in India. On 12 September 2019, the stadium was renamed in memory of former DDCA President and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley after his death on 24 August 2019.
The first ever match played at the Arun Jaitley stadium was just after India’s independence on 10 November 1948. This ground is also home to the IPL underdogs Delhi Capital with a capacity of around 35,200 people.
This stadium also hosted the last international match for Ashish Nehra. Therefore, to honor his legacy, the DDCA renamed one end of the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground as “Ashish Nehra End” for one day.
With its short boundaries and batting-favorable pitch, the venue is just perfect for an IPL T20 game.
M.A. Chidambaram Stadium
Commonly known as the Chepauk Stadium. It was established in 1916 and is the second-oldest cricket stadium in the country after Eden Gardens in Kolkata. It is the home ground of the Tamil Nadu cricket team and IPL team, Chennai Super Kings.
Chepauk hosted its first test match on 10 February 1934. This stadium used to be part of the palace grounds of the Chepauk Palace. There are three pillars at the entrance which are the last remnants of the association with the erstwhile palace grounds.
With a seating capacity of 38,200, the stadium is ideal for matches in all formats of games including the T20s, ODIs, or Test matches. The stands are positioned in such a way that it lets the sea breeze in for the spectators making the match-watching experience better
If you have witnessed an IPL game at this stadium, you must have seen how the stands turn yellow with CSK supporters cheering for their home team with all their hearts and minds.
Wrapping Up
The HPCA stadium located in Dharamshala is the smallest cricket stadium in India. Being smaller is not a bad thing. It just means that you need to hurry when the tickets for your favorite teams at these venues are released.
Even the tiniest of spaces buzz with the sounds of people playing the sport with lots of excitement. All these places are full of iconic moments that happened throughout cricket history. Talking about iconic moments, did you know that Shahid Afridi scored the longest six in cricket history which was about 158 meters!
All of these stadiums are not based on dimensions, but they are considered the smallest cricket stadiums in the world based on their capacity.
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