Smallest Cricket Stadium in India in 2024:
Cricket is the game that has the largest fanbase in India. It has millions of fans all across the country. We love watching the sport and as a result we have some of the most beautiful cricket stadiums spread across the length and breadth of the country. We all know that we have some of the biggest stadiums in our country, but very few of us know about the smallest stadiums present.
In this article we are going to know about the smallest stadiums present in the country in both sitting capacity and the lenght of the boundaries :-
Smallest Cricket ground in terms of sitting capacity:-
Dharamshala cricket stadium :-
The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium [HPCA] or commonly called Dharamshala cricket stadium was established in the year 2003 and is operated by HPCA itself. It is located in the Kangra valley of the Dhauladhar range in Himachal Pradesh. Dharamshala is also a home to Dalai lama and he himself witnessed an IPL match in 2011. It has a sitting capacity of only 23,000 .
Despite of having low capacity it has been getting chance to host regular international and I.P.L. matches due to its enormous natural beauty. The first international match organised here was ODI between India and England in January 2013. It is located in the lap of the Himalayas and gives absolute delight of the match to the spectators and the players. It is a home ground for Himachal Pradesh cricket team in domestic matches.
It has also served as home ground for Punjab Kings in few IPL matches. It also hosted 5 matches during the ODI world cup 2023. It is located at an altitude of 1,457 m above the sea level which makes it perfect for hitting sixes. Due to weather conditions like snowfall and heavy rain it cannot be used for organizing matches during the winters.
The stadium has witnessed some bone chilling matches among which the IPL qualifying match in 2010 between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai super kings is the most memorable one. It is also the first cricket ground in India which has used ryegrass in a cricket match.
The Asian Cricket Council had also set up the centre of Excellence at Dharamshala. The lesser number of spectators is also advantageous for this ground as it keeps the reach of humans limited to the hill station and protects the scenic beauty of the place.
Smallest cricket stadium in terms of boundary length:
Holkar cricket stadium:
Holkar cricket stadium is located in the cleanest city of India i.e. Indore, Madhya pradesh. It is owned and operated by the Madhya pradesh cricket Association. It is so small ground that the square boundaries of this ground are only 56 metres. It has a sitting capacity of 30,000 people. This cricket ground has a very rich history. Many few of us know that it was earlier known as Maharani Usharaje Cricket Trust and was later changed on the name of Holkar dynasty of the Maratha Empire in 2010.
It is said that the Holkar dynasty had given the land for building the stadium promoting the growth of the game. It is the home ground for the Madhya pradesh team in Ranji and other domestic tournaments. The ground has also witnessed some of the legends like Syed mushtaq ali playing. The first international cricket game was played in this ground in the year 2006 in One day format in which India defeated England. India had also won all the games held in this ground till 2022.
It has witnessed the double ton of the legend Sachin Tendulkar against Australia in 2010. In this ground Virendra Sehwag had also scored third highest ODI score of 219 against west indies in 2011. Being smaller in size this ground offers high voltage games as spectators get to see more boundaries and sixes and hence the games here are high scoring breaking multiple records. This stadium is counted among one of the oldest in the country and has a very rich history. It is known for its architecture and has some of the world class facilities.
So, this was all about the two smallest cricket stadiums in India. Both have their own heritage and have witnessed many memorable games in the past and are ready to see more bone chilling and exciting matches in the future. They both showcase the love and respect for the sport in India.