Wankhede Stadium sits in the Churchgate area of Mumbai, India, and opened in 1974 as the home ground of the Mumbai cricket team, later becoming the Mumbai Indians’ home in the Indian Premier League when the tournament began in 2008. Owned and operated by the Mumbai Cricket Association, the venue was built after a dispute between the Cricket Club of India and the MCA over Test match ticket allocations, with MCA official S. K. Wankhede driving the construction of a rival ground in just a matter of months.
The stadium hosted its first Test match in January 1975, a five-day contest between India and the West Indies remembered for Clive Lloyd’s unbeaten 242. Decades later, Wankhede earned a permanent place in cricket history when it hosted the final of the 2011 Cricket World Cup, where India beat Sri Lanka to become the first nation to win the tournament on home soil. It was also the venue for Sachin Tendulkar’s emotional farewell Test in 2013.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Mumbai Indians (IPL, since 2008), Mumbai cricket team, India national team (select matches)
- Location: Churchgate, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Opened: 1974 (first Test hosted in January 1975)
- Capacity: About 33,000 (reduced from roughly 39,000 after a 2010 renovation)
- Renovated: 2010, ahead of the 2011 Cricket World Cup
- Notable event: Hosted the 2011 Cricket World Cup Final, won by India
A Stadium Born From Cricket Politics
Wankhede Stadium’s origin story is unusual among major cricket grounds: it exists because of a falling-out. When the Cricket Club of India limited the number of tickets it gave the Mumbai Cricket Association for Test matches at the neighboring Brabourne Stadium, MCA official S. K. Wankhede pushed to build an entirely new ground nearby. Construction moved quickly, and the stadium was ready in time to host the final Test of India’s 1974-75 series against the West Indies in January 1975.
World Cup Glory and an IPL Home
Ahead of co-hosting the 2011 Cricket World Cup, Wankhede underwent a major redevelopment that replaced older open stands with covered seating, cantilevered roofs, and modern elevators, though the project trimmed overall capacity to make room for these upgrades. The investment paid off on 2 April 2011, when a sold-out crowd watched captain MS Dhoni hit the winning six as India defeated Sri Lanka to lift the World Cup on home turf. Since the IPL’s launch in 2008, the stadium has also served as the home ground of the Mumbai Indians, whose stands, including ones later named for Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma, continue to host league matches, international fixtures, and India’s biggest cricketing occasions.
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Wankhede Stadium FAQs
Where is Wankhede Stadium located?
It is located in the Churchgate area of South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, and is owned by the Mumbai Cricket Association.
What is the seating capacity of Wankhede Stadium?
Following a 2010 renovation for the 2011 Cricket World Cup, the stadium’s capacity was reduced to roughly 33,000, down from about 39,000 previously.
Since when has Wankhede been the Mumbai Indians’ home ground?
The Mumbai Indians have played their home IPL matches at Wankhede Stadium since the league’s first season in 2008.
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Photo: G patkar / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.