Cricket is a sport that is audience-friendly and it’s important that the venues can accommodate huge crowds. It is also important that the audience are comfortable because some cricket formats would last long hours.
With Cricket being the second-most followed sport worldwide next to European football, huge cricket stadiums are necessary. After all, this sport has over 2.5 billion fans. Now that many pandemic restrictions are also lifted, many cricket fans are looking forward to watching the matches live while they place bets on one of the best cricket betting sites in India, 10CRIC.
Now, even if cricket is most popular in India, it doesn’t mean that the best cricket stadiums are only located in this country. Cricket is now gaining more popularity around the world and with that, we can now find stunning cricket stadiums around the world.
Curious to know what the best cricket venues around the world are? Fasten your imaginary seatbelt because we’ll be taking you on a cricket stadium tour in this article!
Narendra Modi Stadium, India
Of course, we have to list a stadium in India! Nothing beats India’s love for cricket and it’s no surprise that some of the best cricket grounds are in the country. The Narendra Modi Stadium is located inside the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave in Ahmedabad and it is one of the few stadiums with LED lights instead of the traditional tower floodlights.
It is owned by the Gujarat Cricket Association and it is now the home ground of the newest Indian Premier League team, Ahmedabad Gujarat Titans. This stadium has a 132,000 seating capacity for spectators and it is great for any cricket matches, whether it’s a Test, ODI, or a T20I.
It’s one of the biggest cricket stadiums today and is the biggest in India as its size, 63 acres, is equivalent to 32 Olympic-sized football fields put together. The stadium has also seen different cricket events including the 2011 Cricket World Cup. It was also the venue of Namaste Trump that was attended by former US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Lord’s Cricket Ground London, United Kingdom
There’s also no way that we’re not including the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, United Kingdom. This is a historic place built in 1814 and it is named after Thomas Lord who was the owner of the Marylebone Cricket Club which was in charge of cricket in the country during that time.
Lord’s is located in St. John’s Wood and is now the home of the Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board, and the European Cricket Council. The International Cricket Council was also based here until 2005. This is why it is also called The Home of Cricket.
But aside from cricket, Lord’s has also hosted other sports events but what’s noteworthy is how it was once a popular place too for tennis. In 2012, it was also one of the Summer Olympics venues where archery competitions were held.
Lord’s seating capacity is 31,000 and is about 250 yards big. It is already planned to develop the cricket ground and increase its capacity. This project was signed in 2013 and is targeted to be finished in 14 years or by 2027. The estimated cost of developing this ground is around £200 million.
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia
Australia is also a huge fan of cricket and so, this country also has a popular cricket place which is the Melbourne Cricket Ground or MCG Stadium. This is also locally called “The G” and is located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. The stadium is managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club and it is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
The MCG Stadium has a sitting capacity of 100,024 but it was able to welcome over 121,000 people during the 1970 VFL Grand Final. It’s also a historic place as it has been around since 1853. A journalist named Greg Baum once called it “a shrine, a citadel, a landmark, a totem that symbolizes Melbourne to the world”. Queen Elizabeth II was also able to visit this place twice when she attended a Richmond versus Fitzroy match in 1970 and the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in 2006. Today, this is the home of the Victoria Cricket Team and Melbourne Stars.
Aside from cricket, it is also the home of football clubs like Melbourne FC, Richmond FC, and Collingwood FC. Different sports events have also been held here like rugby, tennis, and cycling. The MCH has gone through multiple renovations and the last one was in 2006. There are plans for the place to be renovated again in 2032.