A photo revealing the new proposed stand at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium has been making rounds on the internet. The State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) had approved the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association’s request to make changes to the tune of 139 crores to upgrade the international stadium in March this year, reported TOI. The MA Chidambaram stadium, also known as Chepauk, at present, has a seating capacity of 31,140. However, with the proposed changes, it will see the addition of another 5,306 seats. This is being done to keep up with the demand for tickets at the venue.
The TNCA has also planned to take down the building at the Pavilion and Madras Cricket Club blocks and rebuild it. The stadium was last renovated before the 2011 World Cup. Subsequently, the I, J, and K stand were shut down for lack of building approval. This meant that a lot of international fixtures could not be played at the Chepauk Stadium.
The very first ODI match played here was way back on October 9, 1987. The stadium is named after the former BCCI and Tamil Nadu Cricket Association president, MA Chidambaram. It is commonly referred to as Chepauk stadium based on the locality in which it is situated. This ground was constructed in 1916 and has witnessed some interesting things since its inception, also making it the oldest venue in continuous use in India.
The stadium has also been the home of the Chennai Super Kings since 2008. The Chepauk stadium hosted its first international game way back in 1934 which was a test match between India and England. The English side won that match by a colossal margin of 202 runs.
The stadium was also the venue to host the first-ever Ranji Trophy match. The Indian cricket team also registered their first-ever test victory here, defeating England by an innings and eight runs.
This stadium has seen a lot of highs and lows and has gone through a lot of changes over years, the most notable one being the addition of floodlights in 1996. The new renovation could also help breathe some new life into the stadium that has given millions of fans the opportunity to witness their cricketing idols from the stands.
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