Eden Gardens

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Lore & Background

The origins of Eden Gardens' name remain uncertain, though popular culture credits Babu Rajchandra Das, a zamindar who gifted the Marh Bagan garden to Lord Auckland and his sister Emily in gratitude. Initially called 'Auckland Circus Gardens,' it was renamed 'Eden Gardens' in 1841. The stadium has witnessed extreme highs and lows; it held a record crowd of 110,564 during the 1996 India vs Sri Lanka World Cup semi-final before that match was abandoned and awarded to Sri Lanka by default due to crowd disturbances following an Indian batting collapse. In 1999, after Sachin Tendulkar collided with Shoaib Akhtar resulting in a run-out, rioting forced police to evict spectators, leaving the match to continue in front of an empty stadium. In March 2017, the addition of a bell rung by Kapil Dev signaled the start of play, honoring tradition. Notably, Harbhajan Singh had taken a historic hat-trick against Australia in the same venue back in 2001.

In Their Own Story

The stadium's narrative is defined by its capacity to host world-changing moments. In 1987, it became the second stadium ever to host a World Cup final, where Australia defeated England by 7 runs. The ground saw its most dramatic semi-final in 1996 when Sri Lanka was awarded victory after the crowd rioted following India's collapse. Decades later, in 2016, Eden Gardens hosted the ICC World Twenty20 final, witnessing a closely fought encounter where West Indies beat England. The venue has also been the site of individual brilliance; V.V.S. Laxman scored 281 against Australia in the 2000/01 Border–Gavaskar Trophy second Test, the highest score at the ground, while Harbhajan Singh became the first Indian to take a hat-trick in Test cricket here. Even during renovations for the 2011 World Cup that stripped the stadium of an India vs England match due to safety concerns, the venue hosted three other matches, including one with only 15 ticket-buying spectators.

Reader's Guide

Visitors to Eden Gardens enter a venue located in the B. B. D. Bagh area, near the State Secretariat and across from the Calcutta High Court. The stadium's stands are named after local heroes; as of January 2017, stands honor cricketers Sourav Ganguly and Pankaj Roy, alongside administrators BN Dutt and Jagmohan Dalmiya. In April 2017, four stands were dedicated to Indian soldiers who received Param Vir Chakra or Ashok Chakra awards. A stand for Jhulan Goswami was unveiled on 22 January 2025. The Club House bears the name of former West Bengal Chief Minister Dr. B. C. Roy. While the 1987 renovation expanded capacity to 100,000 with multi-tiered covered stands, the 2011 upgrade reduced seating to 68,000 to meet ICC standards, upgrading amenities and cladding the roof structure.

Did You Know?

• Contrary to a popular myth, actual attendance for the Kenya vs Zimbabwe match in the 2011 World Cup at Eden Gardens was higher than the rumored 15 spectators.
• The stadium became the first venue outside England to host a World Cup final in 1987, where Australia defeated England by 7 runs.
• A stand dedicated to Jhulan Goswami was unveiled on 22 January 2025, honoring her as the highest ODI wicket-taker among women.
• During the 1966/67 West Indies and 1969/70 Australian tours, rioting occurred at the ground.
• In 1946, crowd protests with slogans like 'No Mushtaq, No Test' forced selectors to reinstate Syed Mushtaq Ali for an unofficial test.