5 famous cricket stadiums in India 

A bona fide religion in which a God named Sachin Tendulkar is worshipped by billions, cricket is India’s most popular sport. A country in which every win by the Men in Blue is celebrated like a festival, cricket in India has become synonymous with emotions.

India is home to 50 international cricket stadiums, with a few cities like Mumbai having more than one ground. From those 50 stadiums, there are five which stand out for their infrastructure, beauty and also craze for cricket in the city. Let us take a virtual tour of these five famous stadiums.

#5 MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Formerly known as Chepauk and Madras Cricket Club Ground, the stadium was renamed after the President of the BCCI, and also the President of the TNCA, MA Chidambaram. It has a seating capacity of 38,000 and is the home ground of two-time IPL Champions Chennai Super Kings.

The venue has been particularly special for former India captain MS Dhoni, who has hit some memorable knocks here, including his most recent 79-run innings against Australia in the first match of the five-ODI series.

The atmosphere and the crowd at the stadium are extremely respectable. In 1997, the spectators gave a standing ovation to Saeed Anwar after his sensational 194 against India in the Independence Cup, a match which India lost. A standing ovation for a Pakistani cricketer is not something that is often seen in India.

#4 Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Chinnaswamy Stadium has a seating capacity of 40,000

Formerly known as Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium, the Chinnaswamy Stadium, located in the Karnataka capital, was established in 1969 and has a capacity of 40,000. It is also the first ever cricket stadium in India to have an in-house solar rooftop, a rainwater harvesting system and an effective sewage treatment plant.

This is because Bangalore receives torrential rains each year. The home ground of the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, the Chinnaswamy has been host to some great moments, including South Africa's historic series win in 2000, Michael Clarke's hundred on debut, Anil Kumble's 400th Test wicket and Inzamam-ul-Haq's century in his 100th Test.

#3 Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala

The HPCA is considered one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world

The HPCA stadium is an extremely picturesque stadium located in the city of Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. The stadium serves as the home ground for the Himachal Pradesh cricket team during the Ranji Trophy and also hosts other international fixtures as well.

It has hosted one Test, three ODIs and eight T20Is till date. HPCA formerly also hosted a few IPL matches, acting as the home stadium for Kings XI Punjab. What makes the venue standout is its unparalleled location. The stadium is surrounded by hills on all sides and is situated at an altitude of 1,457m above sea level.

In 2016, a T20 World Cup game between India and Pakistan was slated to be played here but due to several protests in the city to sever all cricketing ties with India's war-torn neighbours, the game was shifted to Eden Gardens.

#2 Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Wankhede hosted the 2011 World Cup final which India won

India’s financial capital is home to two cricket stadiums, the Wankhede Stadium in the heart of the city and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The fortress has a capacity of 45,000 and it hosted the all-important 2011 ODI World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka, a game which finally ended India’s World Cup drought of 28 years.

It was here that Ravi Shastri had hit six sixes off Tilak Raj in the Ranji Trophy and Vinod Kambli scored a 224-run knock against England in 1992-93. Sachin Tendulkar played his last Test match at this ground, which is also the home ground of three-time IPL Champions Mumbai Indians.

#1 Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Eden Gardens boasts a seating capacity of 65,000

The largest cricket stadium in Asia, Eden Gardens has a seating capacity of 65,000. Initially, the stadium boasted a capacity of 90,000 but after renovations, some of the seats were excluded.

Widely acknowledged as one of the most iconic stadiums in the world, Eden Gardens is the home ground of two-time IPL winners Kolkata Knight Riders.

It was here that VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid forged an unbeaten 376-run partnership vs Australia. Other memorable moments at this venue include Kapil Dev and Kuldeep Yadav's ODI hat-tricks. This ground has been very special to Rohit Sharma as well, who hit a magnificent 264 in an ODI here in 2014.