Chinnaswamy Stadium
The roaring heart of Bangalore where batsmen dream and the crowd never sleeps.
via Wikipedia: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium · see source
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, also known as the Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium, is a cricket stadium in Bengaluru city of the Indian state of Karnataka. The ground is owned by the Government of Karnataka and operated by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Flanked by the picturesque Cubbon Park, Queen's Road, Cubbon and uptown MG Road, this five-decade-old stadium is situated in the heart of the city of Bangalore. It regularly hosts Test, ODI, T20I and first-class cricket matches, as well as musical, cultural events. The stadium is the home ground of the Karnataka men's, Karnataka women's as well as franchises RCB men's and RCB women's teams. It is owned by the Government of Karnataka and has been leased out to the KSCA for a period of 100 years. Formerly known as the Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium, it was later rechristened in tribute to M. Chinnaswamy, a lawyer from Mandya and the founding member of the Mysore State Cricket Association. He served the KSCA for four decades and was also president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from 1977 to 1980, latter's National Cricket Academy also situated in the premises of this stadium. It is the first cricket stadium in the world to use solar panels to generate a bulk of the electricity needed to run the stadium.
- Location
- Bangalore (Bengaluru), Karnataka, India
- Owner
- Government of Karnataka (leased to KSCA for 100 years)
- Named After
- M. Chinnaswamy (lawyer from Mandya, founding member of Mysore State Cricket Asso
- Capacity
- 40,000 seats
- First Test Match
- 22–27 November 1974 vs West Indies
- Famous For
- Small ground with small boundaries; batting teams often score high totals
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
With generous patronage from the Government of Karnataka, the foundation stone of this stadium was laid in 1969 and construction work commenced in 1970. The stadium was first used for First-class cricket matches during the 1972–73 season. It earned test status during the 1974–75 season when the West Indies toured India. The first Test played at this stadium was on 22–27 November 1974. This was the debut Test match for the West Indian batsmen Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge. The West Indians led by Clive Lloyd crushed M. A. K. Pataudi's Indian team by 256 runs. India registered their first Test win on this ground against the touring English team led by Tony Greig in 1976–77. The first ODI match at this venue was played on 6 September 1982. India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in that match. Floodlights were first installed at this stadium for the 1996 Wills World Cup. The first match played here under lights was the quarter-final clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on 9 March 1996 in which India defeated Pakistan by 39 runs. In 2007, in the 3rd Test Match between India and Pakistan, Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh led a 300 run partnership fightback from 61/4, breaking several records. India's 365/5 at stumps was the highest first-day score in India. The 300 run partnership was the highest partnership at the stadium and the highest left-hander batsmen partnership. Sourav Ganguly's 239 is the highest left-hander score. Since the BCCI chose Bangalore as the centre for the National Cricket Academy in 2000, many budding cricketers have passed out of the academy housed on this ground. Chinnaswamy Stadium is also the home ground of the Bangalore franchise team, the Royal Challengers Bangalore. It was painted in red and yellow, the team colours of the Royal Challengers and also the colours of the Karnataka flag (cultural flag). This stadium also served as the venue for the 1996 Miss World pageant, when it was first held in India.
In Their Own Story
The sun dips below the horizon over Bangalore, casting a golden hue on the green expanse of Chinnaswamy Stadium. The air is thick with the scent of jasmine and the electric hum of anticipation. As the floodlights flicker to life, the stands erupt into a sea of yellow and blue, the colors of Karnataka. A young batsman walks out to the crease, bat in hand, feeling the weight of history in every step. The crowd roars, a unified voice echoing off the stands, urging him on. In this moment, time seems to stand still; it is just the player, the pitch, and the unyielding spirit of Indian cricket.
Reader's Guide
The atmosphere at major Indian venues like Chinnaswamy Stadium is unlike anywhere else in the world. Fans arrive hours before play begins, turning the grounds into vibrant festivals filled with food stalls, music, and camaraderie. Indian fans are known for their passionate support, often singing team anthems and creating a deafening roar that can intimidate visiting bowlers. This collective energy transforms every match into a cultural event rather than just a sporting contest. Cricket functions as a unifying force across India's diverse landscape, bridging linguistic and regional divides. Whether in Mumbai, Chennai, or Bangalore, the love for the game creates a shared identity that transcends all boundaries.
Did You Know?
- It is the first cricket stadium in the world to use solar panels to generate a bulk of the electricity needed to run the stadium.
- The first Test match here (22–27 November 1974) was the debut Test for West Indian batsmen Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge.
- The stadium hosted the 1996 Miss World pageant, the first time that event was held in India.
- On 17 January 2024, the only T20I match with a double super over was played here, between India and Afghanistan, where Rohit Sharma scored his 5th T20I century.
- Following a crowd crush on 4 June 2025 which resulted in 11 fatalities, the stadium was deemed unfit to organise large gatherings and withdrawn from the list of IPL stadiums for 2026.