M. Chinnaswamy Stadium

M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru (Twitter)

India has a rich-and-vast cricketing history, which makes playing in the country an unimaginable experience. With as many as 53 international cricket stadiums and more underway, India provides players, fans, and audiences from all parts of the world to witness the diversity of the county during the course of the match.

Unveiling the Grandeur of M Chinnaswamy Stadium

One such stadium is the Mangalam Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, which was established back in 1969 and is part of India's cricketing folklore ever since. The Karnataka State Cricket Association-run stadium, which was named KSCA Stadium earlier, changed its name in honour of the former president of BCCI, and the founder of Mysore State Cricket Association, Mangalam Chinnaswamy Mudaliar. 

The Chinnaswamy is home to Karnataka State Cricket Team, Team India, and Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

The first First-Class game played at Chinnaswamy was in 1972-73, while it hosted its maiden Test in 1974 against the touring West Indies side, where legends like Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge made their debut. 

India went to win their first Test here against England, and since then managed to become a key venue for the hosts across formats. Soon after, Chinnaswamy hosted its debut One-Day International (ODI) in 1982, and its maiden T20 International (T20I) in 2012.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

With newer innovations and demands, the stadium underwent renovation in the 1990s, and floodlights were installed for the 1996 Cricket World Cup for the first time.

The Chinnaswamy also became the first cricket stadium in the world to utilise solar power to run the venue, apart from building a water purification plant as well.

In 2017, the drainage and subsurface aeration systems were put in place, making it a first time for any cricket stadium.

Major Attraction

​Being the home ground of one of India's favourite sons, Rahul Dravid, the Chinnaswamy have erected a 10,000-brick wall in honour of the legendary cricketer. The number of bricks signifies Dravid's 10,000+ run tally in Test and ODI cricket, respectively.

Capturing the Essence

Am empty Chinnaswamy [Source: Twitter]

The stadium is situated right in the hustle-and-bustle of the city, which makes the experience for the fan even more thrilling. In a stadium, that boasts a capacity of 40,000, the noise, funfair, and excitement can easily match that of the much-bigger venues around the globe.

With a towering roof, the stands feel closer to the players, and with the crowd cheering for the home side, the atmosphere in the stadium is electrifying. 

A jam-packed Chinnaswamy Stadium during India's second-ever D/N home Test [Source: Twitter]

Understanding the conditions at Chinnaswamy

The conditions at Chinnaswamy have perennially favoured the batters. With hardly any movement in the air, bowlers find it tough to hit their mark on a flat and hard pitch.

The pitch is black-soil based, which takes time to roughen up, making the spinners come into play as the Test progress, while in ODIs and T20Is, the Chinnaswamy track is an absolute belter for batters. 

Unveiling Remarkable Records 

Test Records 

• Matches Played: 34
• Won Batting First: 10 (41.67)
• Won Batting Second: 5 (20.83)

Notable Records

• Highest Team Score: 626 (India vs Pakistan, 2007)
• Lowest Team Score: 103 (Afghanistan vs India, 2018)
• Highest Run-Chase: 262 for 3 (India vs New Zealand, 2012)
• Highest Individual Score: 267 (Younis Khan vs India, 2005)
• Best Bowling Figures (match): 11 for 224 (Harbhajan Singh vs Australia, 2004) 
• Most Runs: Sachin Tendulkar - 869 runs
• Most Wickets: Anil Kumble - 41 wickets

One-Day International Records

• Matches Played: 26
• Won Batting First: 11 (42.31%)
• Won Batting Second: 12 (46.15%)

Notable Records

• Highest Team Score: 383 for 6 (India vs Australia, 2013)
• Lowest Team Score: 168 (India vs Pakistan, 1999)
• Highest Run-Chase: 329 for 7 (Ireland vs England, 2011)
• Highest Individual Score: 209 (Rohit Sharma vs Australia, 2013)
• Best Bowling Figures: 5 for 31 (Yuvraj Singh vs Ireland, 2011) 
• Most Runs: Sachin Tendulkar - 534 runs
• Most Wickets: Zaheer Khan - 14 wickets

T20 International Records 

• Matches Played: 8
• Won Batting First: 2 (25%)
• Won Batting Second: 5 (62.50.15%)

Notable Records

• Highest Team Score: 202 for 6 (India vs England, 2017)
• Lowest Team Score: 127 (England vs India, 2017)
• Highest Run-Chase: 194 for 3 (Australia vs India, 2019)
• Highest Individual Score: 113* (Glenn Maxwell vs Pune Warriors, 2013)
• Best Bowling Figures: Yuzvendra Chahal 6 for 25 ( Yuzvendra Chahal vs England, 2017)
• Most Runs: Glenn Maxwell - 139 runs
• Most Wickets: Yuzvendra Chahal - 6 wickets

Memorable Moments

Yuzvendra Chahal's six-fer: Chahal bamboozled England batters in the T20I series decider in 2017. Chahal ripped apart England's famed batting order, who were chasing an uphill target of 203. 

Indian Premier League Records

• Matches Played: 88
• Won Batting First: 37 (42.05%)
• Won Batting Second: 47 (53.41%)

Notable Records

• Highest Team Score: 263 for 5 (RCB vs Pune Warriors, 2013)
• Lowest Team Score: 82 (RCB vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 2008)
• Highest Run-Chase: 186 for 3 (Deccan Chargers vs RCB, 2010)
• Highest Individual Score: 175* (Chris Gayle vs Pune Warriors, 2013)
• Best Bowling Figures: 4 for 9 (Samuel Badree vs Mumbai Indians, 2017)
• Most Runs:  Virat Kohli - 2,700 runs
• Most Wickets: Yuzvendra Chahal - 52 wickets

Memorable Moments

Chris Gayle's 175 - The highest-ever individual score in IPL was achieved here by RCB's devastating opener Chris Gayle, who tormented Pune Warriors' bowling attack to obvillion. 

Virat Kohli-AB de Villiers' 229 - RCB batters Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers stitched an mammoth 229-run stand for the second wicket against Gujarat Lions in the 2016 IPL season at Chinnaswamy, which till date is the highest-ever stand for any wicket in the league.

Key Attractions In-and-Around Chinnaswamy

• Tipu Sultan's Summer Place - A home of Tipu Sultan, the place was the summer residence of the Tiger of Mysore, which showcases timeless Indian and Islamic architecture. 

• Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park - Amidst all the noise and hustle of the city, fans can visit the Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park, which is a much-loved tourist spot. As many as two musical shows take place during the evening. 

• UB City - Touted as India's first luxury mall, the UB City boasts an amphitheatre, spa, high-end shops, and a massive food court, which is a perfect place after an intense cricket match. 
• Bangalore Palace - Owned by the Mysore royal family, Bangalore Place is a marvel, built across 45,000 sq. ft of land. The most visited spot on the premise is the Durbar Hall, which is on the first floor and consists of a massive elephant head. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the capacity and dimensions of Chinnaswamy Stadium?

The capacity of the Chinnaswamy Stadium is 40,000. However, the ground dimensions are 54x60, making the boundary size small (50-55 m)

Q: What are the ticket prices at the Chinnaswamy Stadium?

As is the case across every stadium, the cost of the ticket differs based on seating and tier. One ticket at Chinnaswamy can range from INR 500 to INR 38,000. 

Q: What are the pitch conditions and challenges faced by players at the Chinnaswamy Stadium?

The pitch conditions at Chinnaswamy as conducive to batting, and apart from a short-sized boundary, the players are seen having a wonderful time in the middle. 

Q: What is the cost of Chinnaswamy Stadium?

The stadium is given on lease to KSCA by the government of Karnataka for 100 years.