India’s oldest cricket stadiums tell more than one story. A ground may have started in one year.
Its first Test may have come much later. Its present stands may be newer still.
This is an editorial list of ten major grounds. It uses the earliest clear venue date available. It also shows the first senior international match.
The list covers current or recently active major venues. It does not claim to rank every old club ground in India.
Key Takeaways
- Eden Gardens has the oldest date in this scope: 1864.
- Chepauk has an established 1916 venue date.
- Chinnaswamy needs both 1969 and 1974 dates.
- Motera’s old venue began in 1982.
- The rebuilt Narendra Modi Stadium was completed in February 2020.
How this oldest-stadium list works
“Oldest” can mean different things. It can mean a ground’s founding date.
It can mean the opening date of the present stadium. It can also mean the first international match.
Those dates do not always match. Eden Gardens began in 1864.
Its first Test came in 1934. Motera began as a 1982 venue. Its old stadium was later replaced.
The order below follows the earliest supported venue date. Same-year entries are not separated by a claimed age gap.
Club and domestic grounds can be older. They sit outside this current major-venue scope.
Oldest cricket stadiums in India at a glance
Ten selected historic Indian venues with key dates and first internationals.
| Order | Stadium and city | Venue date used | First senior international | What the date means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 1864 | Test, 1934 | Established venue |
| 2 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi | 1883 | Test, 1948 | Feroz Shah Kotla ground lineage |
| 3 | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 1916 | Test, 1934 | Established stadium |
| 4 | Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai | 1937 | Test, 1948 | Official inauguration |
| 5 | Green Park, Kanpur | 1945 | Test, 1952 | Commonly cited establishment |
| 6 | Barabati Stadium, Cuttack | 1958 | ODI, 1982 | Opening year |
| 7 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 1969 | Test, 1974 | Foundation stone in 1969 |
| 8 | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | 1969 | ODI, 1983 | Commonly cited build year |
| 9 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 1974 | Test, 1975 | Built and opened |
| 10 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 1982 lineage | Test, 1983 | Original Motera venue |
1. Eden Gardens, Kolkata — 1864
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Kolkata, West Bengal |
| Capacity | Approx. 68,000, per BCCI venue data |
| Run by | Cricket Association of Bengal |
| Venue date | Established in 1864. This does not date every present stand. |
| First Test | 5–8 January 1934 against England |
| Notable match | 1987 World Cup final. It was the first World Cup final held in India. |
Eden Gardens has the oldest venue date in this list. The ground’s establishment is widely given as 1864.
Its first men’s Test came from 5 to 8 January 1934 against England. The gap was 70 years.
The current ground is not an untouched 1864 building. It saw major work and a 2010–11 renovation. The Cricket Association of Bengal still runs this famous venue.
2. Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi — 1883
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | New Delhi, Delhi |
| Capacity | Approx. 35,200, per BCCI venue data |
| Run by | Delhi and District Cricket Association |
| Venue lineage | 1883, under the former Feroz Shah Kotla name |
| First Test | 10–14 November 1948 against West Indies |
| Notable match | Sachin Tendulkar made his 35th Test century here in 2005. |
The New Delhi ground began in 1883. It was long known as Feroz Shah Kotla.
India’s first Test there was against West Indies from 10 to 14 November 1948. The ground was then listed as Feroz Shah Kotla.
The venue later took the name Arun Jaitley Stadium. That renaming did not reset its ground history.
3. M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai — 1916
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Capacity | Approx. 38,200, per BCCI venue data |
| Run by | Tamil Nadu Cricket Association |
| Home team | Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket |
| Venue date | Established in 1916 |
| Notable matches | India’s first Test win came here in 1952. The 1986 India–Australia Test was tied. |
Chepauk was established in 1916. It is also called the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Its first Test began on 10 February 1934 against England. Chepauk hosted India’s first Test win in 1952.
It also held the famous tied Test between India and Australia in 1986. The stadium remains a major Chennai cricket ground.
4. Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai — 1937
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Capacity | About 20,000, according to the ESPNcricinfo ground profile |
| Run by | Cricket Club of India |
| Opening date | 7 December 1937. CCI played Lord Tennyson’s XI. |
| First Test | India against West Indies in December 1948 |
| Notable match | India and Australia played the first T20 international on Indian soil here. |
Brabourne Stadium has an exact official opening date. The Cricket Club of India inaugurated it on 7 December 1937.
Its first Test came in December 1948. It was India against West Indies.
Brabourne is run by the Cricket Club of India. It is not the same ground as nearby Wankhede.
5. Green Park, Kanpur — 1945
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh |
| Venue date | Commonly dated to 1945. This is an establishment date. |
| First Test | 12 January 1952 against England |
| History note | The 1945 date does not date every present stand or facility. |
Green Park is commonly dated to 1945. It sits in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Its first Test began on 12 January 1952 against England. The 1945 date is best treated as an establishment date.
Green Park has seen many changes. It still holds an important place in Indian cricket history.
6. Barabati Stadium, Cuttack — 1958
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Cuttack, Odisha |
| Capacity | Approx. 45,000, per BCCI venue data |
| Run by | Odisha Cricket Association |
| Opening year | 1958 |
| First ODI | 27 January 1982. India played England. |
| First Test | 1987. India played Sri Lanka. |
Barabati Stadium opened in 1958. It stands in Cuttack, Odisha.
Its first ODI came on 27 January 1982. India beat England by five wickets in that match.
This ground hosted touring teams before its first official international match. The 1958 date is an opening year, not an ODI date.
7. M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru — 1969 foundation
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| Capacity | Approx. 33,800, per BCCI venue data |
| Run by | Karnataka State Cricket Association |
| Ground lineage | KSCA acquired its own ground in the late 1960s. The foundation date used here is 1969. |
| First Test | November 1974 |
| Notable match | The ground hosted the 1996 World Cup quarter-final. |
Chinnaswamy shows why one year can mislead. The foundation stone was laid in 1969.
The completed stadium and first Test belong to the 1970s. The first Test began in November 1974.
The KSCA acquired its own cricket ground in the late 1960s. The association then moved into the stadium now known as M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Use 1969 for the foundation. Use 1974 for the completed international stadium.
8. Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur — 1969
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Jaipur, Rajasthan |
| Run by | Rajasthan Cricket Association |
| Venue date | Commonly dated to 1969 |
| First ODI | 2 October 1983 against Pakistan |
| First Test | The ground hosted its only men’s Test in 1987. |
Sawai Mansingh Stadium is commonly dated to 1969. The Rajasthan Cricket Association operates it in Jaipur.
Its first ODI came on 2 October 1983 against Pakistan. Its only men’s Test followed in 1987.
A major redevelopment came in 2006. That work changed facilities and spectator areas.
9. Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai — 1974
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Capacity | Approx. 33,100, per BCCI venue data |
| Run by | Mumbai Cricket Association |
| Home team | Mumbai in domestic cricket |
| Opening year | Built and opened in 1974 |
| Notable match | The 2011 World Cup final was played here. |
Wankhede Stadium was built in 1974. Its first Test ran from 23 to 29 January 1975 against West Indies.
The stadium rose after a dispute over the use of Brabourne. It stands less than a mile away.
MCA later redeveloped Wankhede for the 2011 World Cup. That was a major rebuild, not a new venue start.
10. Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad — 1982 Motera lineage
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Ahmedabad, Gujarat |
| Capacity | 132,000, per BCCI venue data |
| Run by | Gujarat Cricket Association |
| Original venue | Motera began in 1982. This date belongs to the older building. |
| First Test | 12–16 November 1983 against West Indies at Gujarat Stadium |
| Notable history | Sunil Gavaskar passed 10,000 Test runs here in March 1987. |
The last entry needs two clear dates. The old Motera venue began in 1982.
Its first Test started on 12 November 1983 against West Indies. The ground was then called Gujarat Stadium at Motera.
The present Narendra Modi Stadium is different. The old building was replaced. The rebuilt venue was completed in February 2020.
What these old grounds teach us
A venue date is not an international date. Eden Gardens waited decades for its first Test.
Barabati opened in 1958 but reached ODI cricket in 1982. Wankhede kept its venue identity after major work.
Motera needs a separate lineage date because its old building was replaced. Some older club and domestic grounds sit outside this active major-venue selection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the oldest cricket stadium in India?
Eden Gardens has the oldest venue date in this scope. Its commonly used establishment date is 1864. Its first Test came in 1934.
Is Chepauk older than Arun Jaitley Stadium?
No. The Arun Jaitley Stadium ground is dated to 1883.
Chepauk is dated to 1916. These are venue dates, not dates for every present stand.
Is Chinnaswamy Stadium from 1969 or 1974?
Both dates matter. 1969 marks the foundation stone.
1974 marks the completed stadium and first Test era. The two dates describe different parts of its history.
Is the present Narendra Modi Stadium the 1982 building?
The venue lineage begins in 1982. The present stadium replaced that older building. Its redevelopment was completed in February 2020.
It is not the same structure as the 1982 stadium.
