The M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai, commonly known as the Chepauk stadium is one of the oldest international cricket stadiums in India and is used to host matches for Team India, the Tamil Nadu state cricket team and the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. It is also called the Chepauk Stadium because of its location which is very close to Marina Beach.
Once also called the Madras Cricket Club Ground before the name was changed after former BCCI chief and TNCA head MA Chidambaram, the Chepauk Stadium was formed in 1916 while it hosted it’s first ever international in 1934 when India played a Test match there against England. Two years later a Ranji encounter was hosted there too as Madras played Mysore.
The Chepauk Stadium also holds the record for hosting India’s maiden Test match win which came in 1952. Later it would go on to host many memorable cricketing encounters which include the 1986 India versus Australia game that ended in a tie. It was only the second such instance of a Test finishing on a tie – there have been no other tied Tests since.
MA Chidambaram Stadium Chennai Tickets
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium World Cup Tickets & Schedule
Chennai hosted five World Cup 2023 matches including India’s opening game against Australia. Here’s a list of all the matches played at this ground during the 2023 World Cup.
- India v Australia: India began their campaign with a crushing win over Australia, chasing down 200 for the loss of four wickets after their spinners had made life difficult for the Aussie batters in the first innings.
- New Zealand v Bangladesh: New Zealand eased to an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh as they chased down 245 in a mere 42.5 overs.
- New Zealand v Afghanistan: After having piled up 288 in their 50 overs, New Zealand bowled Afghanistan out for 139 in one of their rare under-par performances.
- Pakistan v Afghanistan: This turned out to be one of the upsets of the tournament in which Afghanistan eased to an eight-wicket win with an over to spare.
- Pakistan v South Africa: In what was one of the closest matches of the 2023 World Cup, South Africa edged past Pakistan by one wicket with the last wicket adding 11 runs.
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium IPL 2024 Tickets
Tickets for IPL 2024 matches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai can be booked online through platforms like PayTM, Bookmyshow, and insiders.in, or offline at the stadium’s ticket counter. The online process is more convenient, allowing seat selection and digital payment, with the option for home delivery of tickets.
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium Seating Layout
The Chepauk has a current capacity of 50,000 but that will reduce to 40,000 after a set of new stands will be built in 2023-24.
Some of the stands at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai are:
- H Hospitality Box – Level 3
- Anna Pavilion
- C/D/E – Lover Tier
- G – Upper Tier
- C/D/E – Upper Tier
- C/D/E – Hospitality Box
- Pavilion Terrace – Bay 1 & 2
One of the issues facing the stadium was the nature of the stands which made it difficult for the breeze to cool the area down in hot and humid conditions. This was changed when three new stands were reconstructed in 2010-11 only for the Supreme Court to rule that safety norms were violated while building these stands. It took another five years for this matter to be resolved.
Notable Events at the MA Chidambaram Stadium
Some of the most prominent matches played at this ground include the following:
- Narendra Hirwani’s 16-wicket haul on Test debut, the best ever by any bowler, came at this venue.
- Saeed Anwar hit 194 against India in the Independence Cup here which was the highest individual score in ODI cricket at that point.
- Virender Sehwag smashed a 319 in a Test against South Africa which is India’s highest individual Test match score ever.
- Later Karun Nair would join Sehwag as India’s only other triple-centurion in Test match cricket in 2016.
- Chennai was also involved in Australia’s one-run win over India at the 1987 World Cup after a decision to award a four in the Aussie innings was changed to a six during the lunch break.
How to get to M. A. Chidambaram Cricket Stadium in Chennai by Bus, Metro or Train?
M. A. Chidambaram Cricket Stadium Address: 1, Wallahjah Rd, Chepauk, Triplicane, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600002
Nearest Metro Station: Government Estate station
The MA Chidambaram Stadium is located very close to the Chennai centre. It’s about 4 km away from Nugambakkam which is considered to be the heart of the city.
If you are taking a flight from outside of Chennai, then you have two ways to get to the stadium.
One, you can directly Uber or cab it to the MA Chidambaram Stadium or you could take a Blue Line metro which stops at the Government Estate station from where you can either walk or cab it down to the stadium. It’s less than 2 km away but make sure you carry some amount of sun protection and ample amount of fluids because of the harsh Chennai weather.
If you are planning to take a train to Chennai, then you can get off the station and cab it down to the Chepauk Stadium which is less than 4 km away.
On normal days the traffic around the stadium is manageable with the Wallajah Road being quite a wide road but things do become slightly more challenging during matches.
Parking is available but the best way to travel during match days is to take the metro or a cab and leave the hassle of parking at home.
