Established in 1969, M Chinnaswamy Stadium is a cricket stadium located in Bangalore, Karnataka.

Formerly known as the Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium, the Bangalore Cricket Stadium is situated in the heart of the city.

The stadium is named after the founding member of the Mysore State Cricket Association - Mangalam Chinnaswamy. A lawyer by profession, Chinnaswamy was a member of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KCA) for almost 40 years and was also the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president from 1977 to 1980.

Surrounded by the beautiful Cubbon Park, M Chinnaswamy Stadium has a seating capacity of 40,000. It has also become the first cricket venue to use solar panels to generate electricity to power the stadium.

The stadium staged its first international match in 1974, a Test between India and West Indies that the visitors won by 267 runs. Since then, the stadium has hosted 23 Tests, 25 ODIs and seven T20Is.

The India cricket team has a mixed record in Tests at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, registering eight wins, nine draws and suffering six defeats. 

The venue has been the home ground for the Karnataka cricket team in Indian domestic cricket and the Bangalore franchise in the Indian T20 League.

On this note, let’s have a look at the Test and other domestic first-class records made at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

M Chinnaswamy Stadium Test records

Highest team total: India posted the highest team total against Pakistan at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Test cricket in 2007. During the third Test of Pakistan’s tour of India, the hosts rode on Sourav Ganguly’s 239, Yuvraj Singh’s 169 and Irfan Pathan’s 102 to record 626 in the first innings of the Test. The match ended in a draw.

Lowest team total: The Indian cricket team was bundled out for 46 against New Zealand in the first innings of the first Test at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in October 2024 to register the lowest total at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Electing to bat first, India lost wickets at regular intervals to record their lowest Test total at home. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant top-scored for India with 20 while Yashasvi Jaiswal (13) was the only other batter to reach double figures. For New Zealand, Matt Henry was the wrecker-in-chief as he bagged a five-wicket haul while fast bowler William ORourke picked up four wickets.

Highest individual score: Former Pakistan batter Younis Khan holds the record for registering the highest individual score at this venue. Khan scored 267 runs off 504 balls against India in the third Test of Pakistan’s tour of India in 2005. Khan’s innings was laced with 32 fours and one six. Pakistan won the match by 168 runs.

Most runs: India batting great Sachin Tendulkar has amassed the most runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Tests. He aggregated 869 runs in nine matches at an impressive average of 62.07. Tendulkar smashed two centuries and three fifties at this venue. His highest score of 214 at the venue came against Australia in 2010. 

Most wickets:  Former India cricketer Anil Kumble has claimed the most wickets at the venue. The legendary spinner bagged 41 wickets at an economy of 2.98 in nine matches with four five-wicket hauls to his name. 

Best bowling figures:  Australia spinner Nathan Lyon has the best bowling figures in an innings in a Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The off-spinner picked eight wickets for 50 runs in the first innings of the Bengaluru Test in 2017 to restrict India to 189. India though still went on to win the Test by 75 runs.

Highest partnership: Pakistan’s Younis Khan and Inzamam-ul-haq have recorded the highest partnership at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Test cricket. Younis and former Pakistan captain Inzamam forged a mammoth 324-run stand for the third wicket against India during the third Test in 2005. The magnificent partnership helped the visitors post 570 runs in their first innings. Pakistan won the Test by 168 runs.

 

M Chinnaswamy Stadium domestic records

Highest team total: Rest of India posted 737/7d against Bengal in an Irani Trophy match in 1990, which is the highest team total at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in domestic cricket. Double centuries from captain Ravi Shastri (217) and Pravin Amre (246) powered the Rest of India to the mammoth score. The match ended in a draw but Rest of India won on first innings.

Lowest team total: Mumbai hold the unwanted record of registering the lowest team total at this venue in domestic cricket. Mumbai were skittled out for 44 against Karnataka during a Ranji Trophy match in 2015. Karnataka captain Vinay Kumar was the wrecker-in-chief as he picked seven wickets to help his side win the match by 112 runs.

Highest individual score: VVS Laxman’s 353 is the highest individual score recorded at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in domestic cricket. Playing for Hyderabad, Laxman scored 353 runs off 560 balls against Mysore in a Ranji Trophy semi-final match in 2000. The match ended in a draw.

Best bowling figures: Haryana pacer Harshal Patel holds the record for the best bowling figures in domestic cricket. He took eight wickets for 40 runs against Karnataka in the first innings of a Ranji Trophy quarter-final match in 2012. Haryana won the match by six wickets.

Highest partnership: Karnataka cricketers Manish Pandey and CM Gautam have registered the highest partnership at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in domestic cricket. The Karnataka duo recorded a 328-run stand for the sixth wicket against Orissa during a Ranji Trophy match in 2010. Karnataka won the game by an innings and 33 runs. 

Featured photo: DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / RAVEENDRAN / AFP