MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
MA Chidambaram Stadium (full name Muthiah Annamalai Chidambaram Stadium) also known as Chepauk Stadium or Madras Cricket Club Ground, is a historic international cricket stadium and the second oldest stadium in India after Eden Gardens in Kolkata, which is still in use.
There have been many TATA IPL matches hosted at the stadium in different IPL seasons and the TATA IPL’s 2011, 2012 and 2024 finals were held at this stadium. MA Chidambaram Stadium is also used as a ground in the Tamil Nadu Premier League.
The first match at this stadium was a test match between India and England on February 10, 1934, and since then, many international matches have been hosted. The stadium has undergone many changes than ever.
History
First, the stadium was established by Alexander Arbuthnot (a prominent British Colonial Official in India who played a significant role in the early development of MA Chidambaram Stadium Chennai) in 1846 on the grounds of the Chepauk Palace. After several years, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) became the stadium’s home team in 1865. Lastly, the stadium was formally established by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) in 1916.
The stadium was first known as Madras Cricket Club Ground and after that, the former President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) changed the name to MA Chidambaram Stadium from Madras Cricket Club Ground in 1986. This is the home ground of the Tamil Nadu cricket team and, since 2008, of the Chennai Super Kings.
Development & Reconstruction
The TNCA wanted to build a proper, permanent, and well-structured cricket stadium for which they needed funds, so the Government of Tamil Nadu gave ₹1.5 million ($18,000), the Madras Race Club gave ₹0.5 million ($6,000) and TNCA took loans from banks to complete funds for the construction of Chidambaram Stadium and got started on the stadium’s construction in 1971 which was lastly completed in 1981. They increased the stadium’s seating capacity, improved the playing surface, and installed better facilities for players and spectators.
In 1996, the stadium was further improved and the floodlights were installed. After that, the stadium could host both day and night matches. The first international night cricket match at Chidambaram Stadium was played between India and Sri Lanka in 1996.
In 2000, TNCA and BCCI brought further modernization in media facilities, and improved security and drainage systems. They also upgraded dressing rooms for players and enhanced the seating arrangements.
After starting the Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2008 for the first time, MAC Stadium Chennai became a regular venue for IPL matches and also became the home ground of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), after which Chennai Super Kings and Narayanaswami Srinivasan played a significant role in the improvement of CSK Stadium along with TNCA and BCCI. There were added lights and temporary seats to make the stadium able to accommodate night matches and more spectators. They also improved pitches for IPL and international matches and brought many changes for the IPL fans.
In 2010, they further increased seat capacity to accommodate over 50000 spectators with premium and hospitality seating. Also, they modernized the dressing rooms for players and upgraded amenities.
Over time, they brought many improvements to the stadium, such as installing LED floodlights and lights for night matches in 2016. CSK, TNCA, and BCCI modernized much more such as advanced CCTV cameras, large screens, etc till now.
Location and Accessibility
Here is some of the basic but important information about the Madras Cricket Stadium that can help the spectators.
Address and Location
Chennai Chepauk Stadium is located at 1, Wallahjah Rd, Chepauk, Triplicane, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600002 in India.
Google Maps
Contact Information
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
Official Website:
MA Chidambaram Stadium Capacity
However, it is said that before the renovations, the stadium capacity was around 50,000, during the renovations the Chennai Stadium Capacity was temporarily reduced to 31,140 and after the renovations, MA Chidambaram Stadium’s permanent capacity is currently 38,200.
Many websites show different capacities for MA Chidambaram Stadium, the IPL official website displays the MA Chidambaram Stadium’s capacity of 33,500 while Wikipedia and Cricbuzz show the MA Chidambaram Cricket Stadium’s capacity is approximately 38,000 to 38,200.
Parking
Near the CSK home ground, many car parking places are available where IPL fans and spectators can park their cars and enjoy the matches. To find car parking near Chennai Cricket Ground easily, you can use Google Maps to search for “MA Chidambaram Stadium Car Parking” or “Car Parking for MA Chidambaram Stadium” in the Google Maps search box.
Weather
The stadium’s climate is neither cool nor hot only, which means it depends on the months. With the passage of months, the stadium’s weather also changes. The stadium’s weather is generally hot, often exceeding 40°C (104°F), with high humidity levels from March to June in which the intense heat becomes. a challenge for players during those days.
June to September is considered a Monsoon during which Chennai gets substantial rainfalls during those days and often matches are disrupted. From October to February, the stadium’s climate is cool and considered winter, and the humidity level is generally lower as compared to the summer level.
Environmental Sustainability at Studium
The MA Chidambaram Stadium Chepauk Chennai’s environmental sustainability has been modernized very much to provide the spectators with a friendly stadium and use advanced technologies for the stadium’s improvement. There is used rainwater harvesting systems to store and reduce external water sources. They used the advanced energy-efficient LED lighting to reduce the electricity consumption. Also, they used eco-friendly materials for the stadium’s construction and renovations to reduce its environmental footprint.
International Cricket World Cups
The stadium is used in many International Cricket World Cups which are mentioned below in detail.
1987 Cricket World Cup
In the 1987 Cricket World Cup, there were two matches hosted at this stadium.
No
Teams
Date
Won
1
India and Australia
Oct 09, 1987 Friday
Australia won by 1 run
2
Australia and Zimbabwe
Oct 13, 1987 Tuesday
Australia won by 96 runs
1996 Cricket World Cup
In the 1997 Cricket World Cup, the stadium was hosted only in one match (4th Quarter Final).
No
Teams
Date
Won
1
Australia and New Zealand
March 11, 1996 Monday
Australia won by 6 wickets with the remaining 13 balls
1997 Women’s Cricket World Cup
In the 1997 Women’s Cricket World Cup, the stadium was hosted in 2 matches.
No
Teams
Date
Won
1
Australia Women and Ireland Women
December 10, 1997 Wednesday
canceled because of the weather conditions
2
Denmark Women and Ireland Women
December 12, 1997 Friday
Ireland Women won by 9 wickets
2011 Cricket World Cup
In the 2011 Cricket World Cup, there were 4 matches hosted in the Stadium.
No
Teams
Date
Won
1
New Zealand and Kenya
February 20, 2011 Sunday
New Zealand won by 10 wickets
2
England and South Africa
March 06, 2011 Sunday
England won by 6 runs
3
England and West Indies
March 17, 2011 Thursday
England won by 18 runs
4
India and West Indies
March 20, 2011 Sunday
India won by 80 runs
2023 Cricket World Cup
In the 2023 Cricket World Cup, the stadium was hosted in 5 matches.
No
Teams
Date
Won
1
India and Australia
October 08, 2023 Sunday
India won by 6 wickets
2
New Zealand and Bangladesh
October 13, 2023 Friday
New Zealand won by 8 wickets
3
New Zealand and Afghanistan
October 18, 2023 Wednesday
New Zealand won by 149 runs
4
Pakistan and Afghanistan
October 23, 2023 Monday
Afghanistan won by 8 wickets
5
Pakistan and South Africa
October 27, 2023 Friday
South Africa won by 1 wicket