The iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata is the home to two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). In absence of their regular captain Shreyas Iyer, KKR is playing under the captaincy of Nitish Rana and experienced coach Chandrankat Pandit in the ongoing season. The Eden Gardens has been a fortress for KKR since 2008. The franchise has won 53 times while losing 38 of the total 91 matches played at home.
Incidentally, KKR won their first match at home by 81 runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore while losing the second game against SunRisers Hyderabad by 23 runs. The next challenge for KKR at home will be against Chennai Super Kings (April 23), Gujarat Titans (April 29), Punjab Kings (May 8), Rajasthan Royals (May 11) and Lucknow Super Giants (May 20).
History of Eden Gardens, Kolkata
The Eden Gardens is the oldest stadium in India, the second-largest in the country and the third-largest in the world. It has hosted some iconic matches, including the World Cup, T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup. The stadium was established in 1864 and holds a seating capacity of 68,000 spectators. However, for big matches, the capacity of the stadium is increased. Some believe that the stadium got its name from the location, Eden Park.
The first-ever Test match at the venue was played between India and England in 1934, while the first ODI commenced in 1987. Incidentally, Eden Gardens is the first stadium in India to host a pink-ball Test. It underwent renovation for the 2011 World Cup to meet the ICC standards for the marquee event.
T20 records and stats for Eden Gardens, Kolkata
The pitch at Eden Gardens has one of the better batting surfaces. However, spinners have made a major impact on the surface as it wears on. Even in the IPL, spinners have enjoyed bowling at the surface, with the likes of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy turning out to be the marquee players for the franchise. Let us have a look at some of the key T20 stats and records from the venue.
- Total matches: 12
- Wins batting first: 5
- Wins bowling first: 7
- Avg 1st innings score: 155
- Avg 2nd innings score: 137
- Highest score chased: 162
- Lowest total defended: 186
