The Mecca of Indian Cricket
Eden Gardens
Kolkata, India
66,000
1864
Kolkata, India
Grass
About this Ground
The 'Mecca of Indian Cricket'. Scene of Laxman-Dravid's 376-run stand to beat Australia in 2001.
History & Significance
Eden Gardens in Kolkata is the oldest and most storied of India's great cricket grounds, first used for cricket in 1864 when Bengal was still the hub of British India. For more than a century it served as the spiritual home of Indian cricket — crowds of over 100,000 once filled the terraces for early World Cup matches, an atmosphere that no other ground on earth could rival. The 1987 World Cup semi-final between India and England drew one of the largest cricket attendances ever recorded. Yet the ground's single greatest moment came in a Test match: March 2001, when India followed on against Australia, trailing by 274 runs. VVS Laxman, batting at number six, produced a supreme 281 — his finest innings — and partnered Rahul Dravid for a 376-run stand that turned the match completely. India won by 171 runs, ending Australia's 16-match unbeaten Test streak. That victory is widely regarded as the greatest Test comeback in history. Redevelopment ahead of the 2011 World Cup brought the ground to modern standards while preserving its legendary noise, reducing capacity to around 66,000. The IPL era gave Eden Gardens a second life as home to the Kolkata Knight Riders, twice IPL champions under the Shah Rukh Khan ownership group. Few venues in world cricket generate the wall of sound that a packed Eden Gardens produces.
Ground Record
1987 World Cup
Record attendance · 1987
Famous For
- VVS Laxman 281 vs Australia 2001
- 1987 World Cup
- Kolkata Knight Riders IPL home
About Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens in Kolkata is the oldest and most storied of India's great cricket grounds, first used for cricket in 1864 when Bengal was still the hub of British India. For more than a century it served as the spiritual home of Indian cricket — crowds of over 100,000 once filled the terraces for early World Cup matches, an atmosphere that no other ground on earth could rival. The 1987 World Cup semi-final between India and England drew one of the largest cricket attendances ever recorded. Yet the ground's single greatest moment came in a Test match: March 2001, when India followed on against Australia, trailing by 274 runs. VVS Laxman, batting at number six, produced a supreme 281 — his finest innings — and partnered Rahul Dravid for a 376-run stand that turned the match completely. India won by 171 runs, ending Australia's 16-match unbeaten Test streak. That victory is widely regarded as the greatest Test comeback in history. Redevelopment ahead of the 2011 World Cup brought the ground to modern standards while preserving its legendary noise, reducing capacity to around 66,000. The IPL era gave Eden Gardens a second life as home to the Kolkata Knight Riders, twice IPL champions under the Shah Rukh Khan ownership group. Few venues in world cricket generate the wall of sound that a packed Eden Gardens produces.
Upcoming & Recent Matches
All matches →Live match schedule coming soon for this venue.