Indian Premier League 2018: Know your venues

The 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) starts ith defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the opening game on April 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The tournament will last for over seven weeks and will be held across ten venues. Here is a list of all the venues:

MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chennai)

The venue will be hosting an IPL game after a gap of two years. With a capacity of 33,500 spectators, the stadium has witnessed several historic moments. India’s first ever Test victory in 1952 against England came here while Sunil Gavaskar scored his record breaking 30th Test hundred in 1983-84. When it comes to the IPL, the stadium hosted the final in 2011 and 2012.

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium (Hyderabad)

The stadium, built in 2004, played hosts to the Deccan Chargers and then Sunrisers Hyderabad. The first international match was played between India and South Africa in 2005. Deccan Chargers endured a torrid time at the venue, winning their first game after nine matches. The Uppal stadium produces tracks which suit spinners. In 2017, it hosted the final between Mumbai Indians and Rising Pune Supergiant.

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Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai)

Mumbai Indians’ fortress. It will host the first match and the final of the 2018 edition. This is the first time the venue will host an IPL final. The venue hosted the 2011 World Cup final and India won the title after 28 years. Rohit Sharma’s side will be aiming for a record fourth title in front of a buoyant crowd and an electric atmosphere.

Eden Gardens (Kolkata)

The stadium is one of the oldest cricket stadiums in. With a capacity of over 66,000, it holds a special place in Indian cricket history. The stadium hosted its first Test in 1934 but had to wait until 1987 for its first ODI. The stadium has witnessed a lot of high profile games, notably playing host to the IPL final in 2013 and 2015.

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Holkar Stadium (Indore)

Kings XI Punjab will play four matches at the venue with a capacity of over 30,000. The stadium, which hosted international cricket in 2006, has been used as a neutral IPL venue for couple of years. The Kochi Tuskers played a couple of their IPL games here in 2011. The stadium was the venue of this year’s Ranji Trophy final between Vidarbha and Delhi.

Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium (New Delhi)

Delhi Daredevils’ home ground is the second oldest international cricket stadium in India. This has been a happy hunting ground for India as they won seven successive Tests between 1993 and 2007. The Kotla hosted its first Test match when India played the West Indies in 1948. Anil Kumble’s ‘perfect 10’ against Pakistan in 1999 remains the most memorable feat here.

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Sawai Mansingh Stadium (Jaipur)

The stadium, having a capacity of 30,000, will mark its return to the IPL after an absence of two years. In 33 IPL matches till date, the team batting second has won 23 times. The highest run chase came in 2012 when Rajasthan Royals chased 198 to defeat Deccan Chargers. The venue hosted its first Test match in 1987 while the first ODI happened in October 1983.

MCA Stadium (Pune)

With a capacity of around 37,000, Pune will host the Qualifier 2 and Eliminator matches in IPL 2018. In 2012, it hosted its first IPL match, when Pune Warriors India took on Kings XI Punjab. The track tends to be a good wicket for batting. The venue is best remembered for Ben Stokes scoring a blazing century in IPL 2017.

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IS Bindra PCA Stadium (Mohali)

The stadium will host three home games of Kings XI Punjab. Mohali witnessed a magnificent feat of batting when David Miller scored a 38-ball hundred against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013. With Yuvraj Singh and Chris Gayle in the 2018 team, the venue is likely to see more big hits. The highest score here is 240/5 by Chennai Super Kings against the home team.

M Chinnaswamy Stadium (Bangalore)

The stadium is the home ground of Royal Challengers Bangalore and it boasts of a capacity of 40,000. This venue also hosted the Indian Premier League final in 2014 and 2016. The small boundaries at the M Chinnaswamy stadium has seen plenty of batting records, notably a 175 off 66 balls from Chris Gayle in 2013, which remains the highest individual score in this format.