Eden Gardens

Boasting of a capacity of 90,000, the Eden Gardens ground in Kolkata was established way back in the year 1864. The biggest stadium in the world, that’s until the Melbourne Cricket Ground was renovated and could accommodate more – the ground has been witness to many a memorable moments in international cricket. From Sachin Tendulkar’s controversial run out in the 1999 Test match against Pakistan, to the epic Dravid-Laxman show that steered India to a famous victory over Australia in 2001, along with Harbhajan Singh's hat-trick and Kumble's heroics against Pakistan, Eden Gardens has seen it all. It also has a special place in the heart of followers of South African cricket, for it was here that the South Africans made their re-entry into international cricket in 1991 – in front of a packed stadium. With a passionate following of the game among locals, Kolkata has had its dark moments as well – none more famous than the 1999 Test match against Pakistan, which was played to a finish in front of empty stands, after crowd trouble had earlier disrupted play and all spectators were evicted from the ground.

 

The ground is well-equipped with floodlights and the two ends are called High Court end and Pavilion end. Eden Gardens is the home ground of the Bengal cricket team and since 2008, has been the mainstay of the IPL franchise, the Kolkata Knight Riders. In 2011, the ground underwent renovation ahead of the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup, and was set to host a few group-stage matches. But, the ICC felt that the ground would not be ready in time and hence, the India-England game was shifted out of the ground.