Travel Bucket List For Cricket Lovers: Sri Lanka & India
As one of the world’s most popular and widely played sports, it’s no surprise that cricket matches prompt millions of fans to travel to the Indian subcontinent and around the wider APAC region every year. Being able to see great players like Sanath Jayasuriya or Sachin Tendulkar do what they do best in your lifetime is just too good to pass up. Imagine being there in the crowds and amongst all the excitement, holding up custom-made signs that boast fierce slogans or even a logo of your own team that you mocked up on a cricket logo maker. And those of us who did get to see those greats will undoubtedly never forget sitting in the MCG or wherever else we were fortunate enough to see them play.
But if you’ve never seen a cricket match in India or even in Sri Lanka, then take it from a fellow cricket fan – that’s an oversight you’ll definitely want to correct. And that’s precisely what has inspired today’s blog on all the ultimate sites and attractions for all cricket lovers across India and Sri Lanka.
Read on to figure out what you should be putting on your cricket lover’s travel bucket list.
Dharamsala Cricket Ground – Himachal Pradesh, India
First off, why not head to the highest cricket ground in the world? Yes, you heard that right. India may have a wide assortment of cricket grounds and stadiums for you to explore, but this list will just focus on the two most impressive, and one of those two is the Dharamsala Cricket Ground.
Located in the Himachal Pradesh region and at an altitude of a whopping 8108 feet, the Dharamsala Cricket Ground offers some of the most breathtaking views that you can expect to see in your lifetime – namely of the Himachal mountain range, which is also known as the ‘Lesser Himalayas’.
As for the stadium itself, it is quite a sight to behold and a marvel of architecture and engineering. With its colourful seating (23,000 of them, to be precise), pristine green grounds, and gorgeous announcer’s box and other architectural sights, you will find yourself deeply immersed in the beauty of this unique stadium.
Narendra Modi Stadium – Ahmedabad, India
Forget the MCG, because both the opening game and final match of the 2023 Cricket World Cup took place right here in India, namely at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad! Why did the ICC’s Cricket World Cup land on Narendra Modi Stadium as the best choice for hosting both the opening and closing match of the competition? Well there are really two reasons why.
Firstly, Narendra Modi Stadium is actually the largest stadium in the world by seating capacity, being able to seat a whopping 132,000 spectators. This made the Narendra Modi Stadium the obvious best choice for kicking off the ICC’s Cricket World Cup with a bang – and finishing it with an even bigger one.
Secondly, the Narendra Modi Stadium also happens to be the home of the India national cricket team, as well as the India women’s cricket team, and Gujarat Titans. If you want a meet and greet with some of India’s cricket greats, then you might just be able to tick that off your bucket list too by visiting this breathtaking stadium in Ahmedabad.
R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium – Colombo, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s largest stadium and the one that’s seen the most ICC World Cup action, the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium is a must-add on the travel itinerary of any cricket lovers that have their sails set to Sri Lanka. Originally established in 1989, the R. Premadasa Stadium (also referred to as the Khettarama Stadium) has been through its fair share of renovations, both to expand the seating capacity (which is now at a whopping 35,000 seats), and to improve on the facilities in the lead up to international cricketing events like the World Cup.
R. Premadasa Stadium is also often referred to as the ‘home of cricket in Sri Lanka’, due both to its larger size and extra capacity but also because of its modernised facilities and the sheer care, attention, and financial investment that has been made into making the stadium a genuine sight to behold. In fact, it’s possible to actually take a private or guided public tour of the stadium and grounds! If that sounds like a dream experience for you, then be sure to book a sports lover’s Sri Lanka travel tour for yourself.
Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground – Colombo, Sri Lanka
Although Sri Lanka has a handful of cricket stadiums that have seen more World Cup action and even seats more spectators, you really cannot complete your cricket lover’s bucket list without visiting the country’s oldest stadium: the Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground. Established in 1952 in the beautiful Cinnamon Gardens of Colombo (the country’s capital city), the Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground marked a great milestone for Sri Lankan cricket lovers – and it still does to this day, as the grounds still host most of the domestic finals.
Some of the cricketing greats that have played at this historic ground include Sri Lanka’s own Kumar Sangakkara, Bangladesh’s Mohammed Ashraful, and the late great Shane Warne himself. The Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground was also the setting of the Zimbabwe vs. Sri Lanka match in the 1996 Cricket World Cup.
Sri Lanka Cricket Museum
And while you’re visiting the SSC Cricket Ground, why not hop across the road and pay a visit to Sri Lanka Cricket Museum? Just a stone’s throw from the Sri Lanka Cricket Headquarters in Maitland Place, this fascinating little museum has been developed to document Sri Lanka’s rich cricketing history, spanning from its journey to becoming a test nation, and all the way through to Sri Lanka’s triumphant victory at the 2014 ICC World Twenty20.
And speaking of their win at the 2014 T20 World Cup, you can actually see the 2014 T20 trophy when you visit the museum! Both the 2014 trophy and the 1996 World Cup trophy are on display for the public to see. So if you want to witness these little pieces of Sri Lankan cricketing history in person (and explore the museum’s hall of fame), then be sure to add this museum day to your list of things to do in Sri Lanka.
Have you been to any of these cricket stadiums yourself? Or are these all experiences that you’re yet to have? If these are all still on your cricket lover’s bucket list, then you’ve certainly got a lot to look forward to! But life’s too short, so why not book yourself all these amazing experiences now?