India’s sporting infrastructure is undergoing a rapid phase of expansion. Across the country, new cricket grounds are being conceptualised, funded, and constructed at an unprecedented pace from Tier-II cities to satellite urban clusters.
On paper, this reflects ambition. In practice, however, it also raises a fundamental structural question: does India really need more cricket stadiums, or does it need better sporting balance?
At present, the expansion of cricket infrastructure is being driven by a decentralisation strategy aimed at taking international-standard venues beyond traditional metropolitan centres. New facilities in cities such as Varanasi and Gorakhpur are intended to unlock regional participation while improving accessibility for spectators and local associations.
The Varanasi International Cricket Stadium alone has been developed on 30 acres of land acquired for ₹121 crore and leased to the cricket board for a 30-year operational term, with an estimated construction cost of ₹330 crore and a seating capacity of 30,000 expandable to 40,000.
Such investments represent a clear policy direction toward ownership-based infrastructure models, allowing state associations to move away from shared or leased venues. Similarly, the proposed international stadium at Tal Nador in Gorakhpur built across 46 acres at a projected cost of ₹392.94 crore emphasises connectivity through proximity to highways and airport corridors. In Kerala, the Chengamanad project in Kochi is being envisioned not merely as a cricket ground but as India’s first carbon-neutral sports city, designed on previously unused agricultural land to limit environmental displacement.
Yet, infrastructure expansion alone does not necessarily translate into sporting development.
India already possesses multiple historic cricket venues that remain underutilised or administratively stalled. The Raja Nahar Singh Stadium in Faridabad, for instance, has been largely non-operational since 2006 despite renovation work initiated in 2019.
Originally budgeted at ₹115 crore, the project has seen cost revisions balloon to ₹366 crore due to administrative friction and design disagreements. In Jodhpur, Barkatullah Khan Stadium went nearly two decades without hosting major cricket before incremental upgrades finally allowed competitive play to return in 2022.
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This “restoration paradox” highlights a deeper planning dilemma revitalising existing venues is often more expensive and bureaucratically complex than constructing entirely new ones. As a result, greenfield stadium projects are frequently prioritised, even when legacy facilities remain structurally viable with technical upgrades.
The consequences of neglecting maintenance in favour of expansion have already been visible. The Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida despite being an ICC-approved venue has been blacklisted by the national board since 2017 following regulatory violations and infrastructural shortcomings. Its clay-based outfield and inadequate drainage system led to the abandonment of an international Test match in September 2024 without a single ball being bowled.
This incident underscored the fact that physical infrastructure alone cannot substitute for technical management and professional governance.
Even in operational stadiums, urban constraints have forced planners to reconsider location models. Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, built on a restricted 17-acre plot with a capacity ceiling of approximately 38,000, has reached its sustainable limit. A stampede outside the venue during IPL victory celebrations in June 2025 which resulted in eleven fatalities prompted the Cunha Commission to recommend a moratorium on high-attendance events until substantial safety redesigns are implemented.
Consequently, the proposed Suryanagar complex on the city’s outskirts aims to integrate transport connectivity, emergency exits, and hospitality infrastructure within a 75–100 acre master plan capable of accommodating 80,000 spectators .
However, the contemporary shift in policy is not limited to cricket alone.
India’s broader sporting roadmap, aligned with the “Khelo Bharat Niti 2025” and a potential 2036 Olympic bid, increasingly emphasises multi-sport integration through Sports City frameworks . Hockey infrastructure has already seen significant upgrades, with facilities such as the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela setting new benchmarks through advanced synthetic turfs and spectator-friendly layouts.
Similarly, FIFA-supported football academies in Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar are being developed under the Talent Development Scheme to nurture elite youth players within structured residential programmes.
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The implication is clear India’s future sporting success will depend not solely on cricket-centric expansion but on integrated investment across disciplines.
Financially, over ninety stadium and sports complex projects are currently underway within the National Investment Pipeline, with private stakeholders expected to contribute roughly 21% of implementation costs. In this context, the strategic allocation of resources becomes critical. Continued investment in standalone cricket stadiums risks reinforcing existing asymmetries in India’s sporting ecosystem, where hockey, football, athletics, and other Olympic disciplines often struggle for comparable infrastructural support.
Balancing new infrastructure with the preservation of historic cricket venues while simultaneously expanding world-class facilities for hockey and football may therefore represent the most sustainable path forward. Integrated sports hubs capable of hosting multiple disciplines offer year-round utility, improved athlete development pathways, and greater returns on public investment.
India’s stadium boom reflects ambition. Ensuring that this ambition translates into multi-sport excellence, rather than single-sport redundancy, will determine whether the country’s infrastructure drive truly supports its long-term competitive aspirations on the global stage.
