Cricket is the second most-watched sport in the world, 2023. All of its three formats provide competitive and exciting cricket throughout the year. So, with such a huge fan following, the venue is an essential factor in watching the best cricketing action.
Stadiums are compared based on their capacity for spectators. The following are the ten largest cricket stadiums in the world.
Each of the stadiums has its unique features, history, and atmosphere. Hence, stick with us to find out the top 10 best cricket stadiums in the world.
- Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium
- Location: Dharamshala, India
- Capacity: 23,000
- Establishment: 2003
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) is the youngest cricket stadium among the best cricket stadiums.
The stadium is home to Kings XI Punjab for IPL games and the Himachal Pradesh cricket team in Ranji Trophy games.
Soon after its establishment, HPCA became the center of attraction. So, later in 2009, it was again refurbished and expanded up to 23,000 seats.
The most spectacular beauty of the stadium is the backdrop of the Dhauladhar range and other Himalayan ranges.
But that’s only one feature that HPCA is one of the best cricket stadiums. Besides, the stadium has small-sized stands and an open view enabling a spectacular view for fans.
Likewise, openness in the stadium allows seam bowlers to get wind assistance.
HPCA is the first stadium in India to have winter ryegrass in the field to prevent grasses from dying in the winter season when the temperature is below 10 °C.
Certainly, In 2023, The last two IND vs. SL T20Is are played at the scenic Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association or Cricket Stadium in the laps of the Dhauladhars.
These two T20Is were played consecutively on the 26th and 27th of February at the venue.
- Old Trafford Cricket Ground
- Location: Manchester, England
- Capacity: 26,000
- Establishment: 1857
The stadium has been called Emirates Old Trafford since 2013 after tieing sponsorship deal with airline company Emirates.
In domestic cricket, it is home to the Lancashire county cricket club. It is the second oldest Test ground in England after the Oval and has a rich history in Test cricket.
Likewise, Old Trafford holds the record for hosting most World Cup matches (17) and semi-finals (5).
What makes Old Trafford among the best cricket stadiums is its prominent features itself.
In the domestic cricket stadium, one will find 19,000 capacity, but it expands up to 26,000 capacity during international games.
The stadium also holds live concerts occasionally, and the seating capacity increased up to 50,000.
Also, the most remarkable feature of the stadium is the £12 million Hilton Garden hotel that opened in 2017 with 68 rooms.
Likewise, half of the rooms have a balcony overlooking the pitch. On match days, a few of those rooms are changed into hospitality boxes.
Concerts at Emirates Old Trafford, Emirates Old Trafford hosted an incredible season of concerts in 2023. In just 10 days, they held four massive concerts with Harry Styles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The Killers.
- Western Australian Cricket Association Ground
- Location: Perth, Australia
- Capacity: 20,000
- Establishment: 1890
Western Australian Cricket Association Ground (WACA) is regarded as the home of cricket in Western Australia.
Moreover, it’s a sports stadium. But, WACA is mainly renowned as a cricket stadium.
Alongside being one of the best cricket stadiums, it has established a reputation as the fastest and bounciest pitch globally.
In addition, the combination of afternoon sea breezes and pitches has made WACA an attractive ground for fast and swing bowlers.
In 2021, redevelopment works started at WACA ground and its due to be completed by 2023. The estimated cost of the plans is $75 million.
Furthermore, WACA has a cricket museum near the stadium. Besides memorabilia of Australian cricket history, other sports are also displayed in WACA.
For the 2023 Western Australian Cricket Association Ground has consciously towards the $115m project to revitalize the east Perth cricket ground is underway with an all-abilities playground added to the design plan as a positive development.
- Kensington Oval
- Location: Barbados, West Indies
- Capacity: 28,000
- Establishment: 1871
Kensington Oval, located in Barbados, is arguably the most loved and best cricket venue in the Caribbean region.
The venue also has other sports facilities, but it’s mainly famous for cricketing actions. For building a new stadium, the stadium closed in 2004.
More importantly, the stadium has a rich history behind it. Its first ground to host the first England touring team in 1895.
Likewise, it’s the first stadium to host West Indies’ first test match, and Andrew Sandham scored the first-ever test triple century on that ground.
Kensington Oval has already hosted two World Cup finals; the 2007 Cricket World Cup and the 2010 ICC T-20 World Cup.
The ground also features a large grassy hill where fans can enjoy matches having picnics.
Likewise, there is also a jumbo TV screen and a pool-like area for fans to relax while watching the game.
The last update of 2023 for Kensington Oval was that Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced the opening of the box office at Kensington Oval for the inaugural series, which featured two consecutive weekends of back-to-back T20Is starting on Saturday, January 22 and concluding on Sunday, January 30.
- Sydney Cricket Ground
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Capacity: 48,601
- Establishment: 1848
Sydney Cricket Ground (SGC) is one of the oldest and most prestigious cricket stadiums in the world.
In domestic cricket, SGC is home to New South Wales Blue and Sydney Sixers. Besides, cricket, rugby, soccer, and Australian football are also played in the stadium.
Its 48,601 seat capacity makes SGC the fifth-biggest sporting venue in Australia.
One of the famous landmarks of world cricket, the green-roofed Ladies Pavillion, built in 1896, is the most notable feature of SCG.
Likewise, two impressive mounds are on the opposite side of the Brewongle stand, and the original Members stand, The Hill and Paddington Hill.
The ground has rich cricketing moments. Sir Donald Bradman scored his then First-Class world record 452 runs in SCG. Later, Brian Lara scored a record 501 on that ground in 1994.
In 2019, Australia won a record-setting 1,000 wins in international matches in SCG. They defeated India in the ODI match.
Fixtures for 2023
| 2022 | |||
| Sat Oct 22 (20 ovs) 18:00 local | 07:00 GMT 12:45 +0545 | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 13th Match, Group 1 – Australia v New Zealand | ||
| Thu Oct 27 (20 ovs) 14:00 local | 03:00 GMT 08:45 +0545 | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 22nd Match, Group 2 – Bangladesh v South Africa | ||
| Thu Oct 27 (20 ovs) 18:00 local | 07:00 GMT 12:45 +0545 | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 23rd Match, Group 2 – India v TBC | ||
| Sat Oct 29 (20 ovs) 19:00 local | 08:00 GMT 13:45 +0545 | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 27th Match, Group 1 – New Zealand v TBC | ||
| Thu Nov 3 (20 ovs) 19:00 local | 08:00 GMT 13:45 +0545 | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 36th Match, Group 2 – Pakistan v South Africa | ||
| Sat Nov 5 (20 ovs) 19:00 local | 08:00 GMT 13:45 +0545 | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 39th Match, Group 1 – England v TBC | ||
| Wed Nov 9 (20 ovs) 19:00 local | 08:00 GMT 13:45 +0545 | ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 1st Semi-Final – TBC v TBC | ||
| Sat Nov 19 (50 ovs) | ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League 2nd ODI – Australia v England | ||
| Tue Nov 22 – Fri Nov 25 10:30 local | 23:30 GMT 05:15 +0545 | Sheffield Shield Round 5 – New South Wales v Western Australia | ||
| Thu Dec 22 (20 ovs) 19:15 local | 08:15 GMT 14:00 +0545 | Big Bash League Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes | ||
| Mon Dec 26 (20 ovs) 18:05 local | 07:05 GMT 12:50 +0545 | Big Bash League Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Stars | ||
| Wed Dec 28 (20 ovs) 19:15 local | 08:15 GMT 14:00 +0545 | Big Bash League Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Renegades | ||
- The Imperial Wanderers Stadium
- Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
- Capacity: 34,000
- Establishment: 1956
The Imperial Wanders Stadium earned the nickname Bullring due to its bull ring style design and intimidating atmosphere for the visiting teams.
The high stands occupy most of the stadium, but a few small grassed areas are most popular among spectators.
To replace Old Wanderers Stadium, Imperial Wanders was built in 1956 with a 34,000 seating capacity.
In October 2004 devastating fire occurred in the stadium clubhouse. Later they destroyed the pavilion and some of the priceless historical items.
The Wanderers have a history of memorable moments in world cricket. For example, in 2006, South Africa chased down the ODI world record 434 runs against Australia in Wanderers.
AB de Villers scored the fastest ODI fifty (50 runs off 16 balls) and fastest T20I fifty (50 runs off 21 balls) on the same ground.
Likewise, in 1995 Mike Atherton batted for about 10 hours to save the Test for England.
The one unique feature of the Wanderers is its pitch is favorable for both batsmen and bowlers.
Records and statistics | 2023
| First Test | South Africa v England – Dec 24-29, 1956 | Scorecard |
| Last Test | South Africa v India – Jan 3-6, 2022 | Scorecard |
| Test records | Results | High totals | High scores | Most runs | Best bowling | Most wickets | Partnerships | Statsguru | ||
| First ODI | South Africa v India – Dec 13, 1992 | Scorecard |
| Last ODI | South Africa v Bangladesh – Mar 20, 2022 | Scorecard |
| ODI records | Results | High totals | High scores | Most runs | Best bowling | Most wickets | Partnerships | Statsgur | ||
- Eden Gardens
- Location: Kolkata, India
- Capacity: 80,000
- Establishment: 1864
The home of Indian cricket and the oldest cricket stadium in India, Eden Gardens is next on our list of best cricket stadiums worldwide.
Eden Garden is the second-biggest cricket stadium in India and the third-largest in the world. It has a total of 80,000 seating capacity.
In domestic cricket, it’s home to Bengal in the Ranji trophy and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
In 1987, Eden Gardens became the first stadium to host Cricket World Cup Final outside England.
Moreover, the stadium has already hosted six ICC World Cup, and five ICC IT20 World Cup matches.
Eden Garden is well known for its huge and loud, and energetic fans. So, former Australian skipper Steve Waugh named Eden Gardens as ‘Lords of the subcontinent.‘
In 2016, Eden Garden installed a bell similar to the Lords. Since then, in every match bell is rung to start the match.
Legends League Cricket’s second edition (2023) to kick off at Eden Gardens
The iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata will be hosting the first game of the second edition of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) on September 16, the organizers said.
- The Oval
- Location: London, England
- Capacity: 27,500
- Establishment: 1845
The Oval has been home to Surrey County Cricket Club since its establishment in 1845. However, it is also the ground where England’s test history all began.
In 1980 it became the first England stadium to host international test cricket matches.
After the inaugural test match was played in the historic venue, Ashes was born two years later, in 1982.
Besides cricket, The Oval also has memorable historic moments in football. In 1970 Oval hosted the first-ever international football match in the world.
England played against their bitter rival Scotland, where the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Likewise, the Oval hosted the world’s oldest football tournament, the FA CUP finals, for two decades, from 1872 to 1892.
Besides its rich history, Oval is also famous for providing state-of-the-art hospitality to its members and spectators.
The famous OCS stand features ‘The Corinthian Roof Terrace,’ which provides a dramatic look at the London skyline.
Likewise, since 2002 it has gone through many modern renovations so that both fans and players can enjoy the best cricketing actions.
- Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Capacity: 1,00,024
- Establishment: 1853
Australian National Heritage listed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is the sports stadium locally known as “The G.”
The G is the second biggest cricket stadium globally and the eleventh largest sports stadium globally, with a total seat capacity of 1,00,024.
It also has a reputation birthplace of test cricket (1877) and ODI cricket (1971). Australia played England in both matches, winning both of them.
During Summer Olympics in 1956 and the Commonwealth games in 2006, it served as the centerpiece stadium. MCG also hosted the 1992 and 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.
MCG always comes to life on Boxing Day each year. Besides cricket, MCG has also hosted other important sporting events.
Moreover, in 2019 the stadium hosted the AFL Grand final, which later became the highest-attended league championship match.
Also, MCG is home to the Australian Sports Museum. It is a must-go place when someone visits Melbourne.
It brings together Melbourne Cricket ground history and more than 3,500 historical items of about 95 different sports.
- Lords
- Location: London, England
- Capacity: 31,100
- Establishment: 1814
The number one on our list of best cricket stadiums is no other than the Home of Cricket, The Lords.
Its the oldest cricket stadium in the world, established in 1814 and named after the owner of and founder of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Thomas Lord.
Despite going through numerous renovations works, Lords still hold a special place in the cricketing world.
Playing a Test match at Lords at some point in their career is still the dream for many cricketers.
The Lords have hosted more ICC Cricket World finals than any other stadium. It hosted finals in 1975, 1979, 1983, 1999, and 2019.
Many unique and iconic features make Lords the best cricket stadium.
The most distinctive feature of Lord is its Victorian-era pavilion built with bricks and ornate terracotta facing.
Likewise, Lords is the first stadium to start ringing the bell tradition to start the match.
Another famous tradition of Lords is the Long Room, where players walk out to enter the field.
Only MCC members and special guests are allowed in there filled with famous cricketers’ paintings.
It has a unique honor board that presents names of players to have scored 100 or taken five wickets in innings or ten wickets in the match there.
Lords is home to the world’s oldest sports museum MCC Museum. It has a collection of historical cricket memorabilia, including The famous Ashes urn.
Besides cricketing history, Lords is well-known for having a sloping outfield.
The northwest area of the field is 2.5m higher than the southeast area, which influences the match and makes the ground stand out.
2023 MEN’S INTERNATIONAL FIXTURES AT LORD’S
England v New Zealand (LV= Insurance Test Match), Thursday 2 – Monday 6 June
England v India (Royal London One-Day International), Thursday 14 July
England v South Africa (LV= Insurance Test Match), Wednesday 17 – Sunday 21 August
