The world’s third-largest and India’s oldest cricket ground is what you can find in Kolkata and is known by the name Eden Gardens. After Narendra Modi Stadium and Melbourne Cricket Ground, it is the third-largest cricket stadium in the world. The stadium with its holding capacity of 66,000 people has made its position at the top three cricket stadiums of the world.
For Indian cricket, this stadium is referred to as “home.” It’s also regarded as a “batman’s paradise” since it has India’s fastest outfield of any cricket ground. “Cricket’s answer to the Colosseum,” as the cricket pitch has been dubbed. This stadium is renowned as the “Mecca of Indian Cricket” since it was the country’s first official cricket venue.
Eden Gardens has played home to important international tournaments such as the World Cup, World Twenty20, and even Asia Cup. In the year 1987, the stadium hosted the second World Cup final. It also hosted the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 final, which saw the West Indies defeat England in a tight match.
History of Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens, built in 1864, gets its name from one of Kolkata’s oldest parks Eden Gardens, which is located right next to the stadium and was constructed in 1841. It was named for then Governor-General of India’s Eden sisters of Lord Auckland. It was originally titled ‘Auckland Circus Gardens’, but then its creators subsequently renamed it to ‘Eden Gardens’ from the Bible.
It is located in the city’s B. B. D. Bagh neighborhood is close to the State Secretariat and the Calcutta High Court. And the cricket grounds were built between Fort William and Babughat.
The Stadium
Eden Gardens, which was established in 1864, was rebuilt for the 2011 Cricket World Cup, presently seats 66,349 people, down from an estimated 100,000 before the renovation. The capacity was then reported to be around 120,000 before the 1987 World Cup, although no official numbers have been published.
The stadium hosted cricket and derby football events before 1984. The stadium hosted its first Test Match in the year 1934 and its first One day International in 1987. With the first matches taking place under the lights, the stadium hosted the Hero Cup knockout matches in it.
The huge and boisterous crowds at Eden Gardens are legendary. As the saying of Dr. B. C. Roy (Chief Minister of West Bengal) goes, “a cricketer’s cricketing education is incomplete until he plays in front of a crowded Eden Gardens’ ‘. Thus, Eden Gardens is considered to be the headquarters for the Cricket Association of Bengal.
Renovation in 1987 & 2011
The seating capacity that the stadium had before the 1987 World Cup was around 40,000. The infrastructures of the press box, clubhouse, and television station in the stadium were all reconstructed. The multi-tiered covered platforms and massive roofs were sustained by 42 columns. After renovating all these things, not all seats could be covered and even several seats lacked individual seats.
For the 2011 Cricket World Cup, Eden Gardens was renovated. The renovation was carried out to fulfill the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) requirements for the 2011 World Cup. The plans for stadium renovation including renovated player’s amenities and clubhouse gave the stadium a new look. It covered the existing structure of the roof with a new metal shell, upgraded patron amenities, and signs along with general infrastructure development. To renovate the cricket stadium, the Cricket Association of Bengal had retained the team of Burt Hill and VMS. This upgrade of the stadium brought a reduction in the seating capacity from around 94,000 thousand to 68,000.
Stands
The stands of Eden Gardens are named after well-known local cricketers and warriors. Two stands that were named after Indian cricketers are Pankaj Roy and Sourav Ganguly in the year 2017. BN Dutt (President of BCCI from 1988 to 1990) and Jagmohan Dalmiya (BCCI President from 2001 to 2004, then again in 2013 – interim, 2015) are the two names of cricket administrators after whom the stands are named.
On 2017, April 27, four stands were named after Indian soldiers namely – Colonel Neelakantan, Jayachandran Nair, Lieutenant Colonel Dhan Singh Thapa, Havildar Hangpan Dada, and Subedar Joginder Sign Sahnan.
Cricket Matches Hosted
The Eden Gardens stadium had hosted a total 15 number of Cricket World Cup matches in India across men’s and women’s cricket. The stadium has hosted five T20I matches during the 2016 ICC World Twenty20. In 1978 and 1997, the stadium hosted the two Women’s Cricket World Cup matches and one Women T20I match in the year 2016 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 tournament. Eden Gardens has also hosted several other tournaments and matches, including four finals (ODI CWC 1987, 2016 T20I, 1997 Women’s CWC, and 2016 Women’s T20I) and one semifinal (ODI CWC 1996).
Conclusion
So, if you’re a die-hard cricket fan visiting Kolkata, be sure to pay a visit to Eden Gardens. If you visit during the off-season or when there are no matches scheduled, you can obtain permission from the Cricket Association of Bengal to enter the stadium and observe from the inside.
Also Read : Best Places To visit In Kolkata
