World's Largest Cricket Stadium To Come Up In Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu plans to build world's largest cricket stadium in Coimbatore. It has recently floated tenders for the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR).

The proposed site for the stadium is 16 kilometres from Coimbatore city, along NH 544, which connects Salem and Kochi. The state plans to acquire 198 acres from the State Prisons Department, which owns 200 acres in the area, once the DPR is finalised.

According to senior officials from the Sports Department, a Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued to prepare the DPR and to engage a design consultant among other necessary services for the development of the stadium. Interested bidders have been given a month to submit their proposals.

The envisioned cricket stadium is expected to feature the largest spectator seating capacity in India. It will include five-star amenities for members, VIPs, and corporate sectors, as well as state-of-the-art facilities for players, including a lounge, media and broadcasting centres, cafeterias, restaurants, viewing galleries, and a cricket museum.

The stadium will also boast advanced features such as an indoor practice arena, a specialised indoor fielding zone, pitch curation training facilities, lecture theatres, and a high-performance centre.

Proposals for a restaurant, spa, dormitories, and recreation facilities for players are also being sought. Additionally, a members’ clubhouse, sports bar, and restaurant are in the planning stages.

In developing the design, the Sports Department has recommended that bidders study the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru as live case examples, while also considering the renowned Lords Cricket Stadium in London as a reference model, as per DTNEXT report.

The bidders have also been tasked with creating a forum for research and rehabilitation for players, umpires, technicians, and coaches, and incorporating the latest concepts in stadium design.

This includes modern technological infrastructure, such as media facilities and PR-related services, as well as high standards of public seating and hospitality.

Currently, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad holds the record for the largest cricket stadium in the world, with a seating capacity of 132,000. Designed by Australia's Populous and built by Larsen & Toubro, this stadium was completed after five years of construction at an estimated cost of Rs 800 crore, replacing the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the largest cricket venue globally.