All About Greenfield International Stadium

The Greenfield International Stadium, also known as The Sports Hub, Trivandrum, is a cricket stadium located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, that is used mostly for cricket and football matches. It is the 50th stadium in India to host international cricket. It was built in 2015, which makes it one of the youngest stadiums in the country.

The History of Greenfield International Stadium

This stadium takes up 36 acres and has been rented by the Kerala University until the year 2030. For this privilege, they are paying 94 lakhs a year, which is not cheap. However, if you ever get the chance to visit this magnificent piece of architecture, you will probably come to the conclusion that they could be paying quite a bit more. As the plan was to use this ground for cricket and football, it had to be built in a way that was in line with both FIFA and ICC regulations. Its capacity of 50,000 seats puts it up there as one of the largest stadiums in India.

The stadium has been divided into zones, with the north zone dedicated to cricket and the east zone dedicated to football. Each of the zones comes equipped with a luxurious lounge, a fully equipped gym, a stock room, and a media centre. In the south zone, you will find a food court, shops, and even a cinema. There is an adjacent pavilion that has all the equipment needed for sports such as volleyball, squash, basketball, and table tennis. To top it all off, there is an Olympic-sized pool. It is an environmentally friendly stadium, the first of its kind in India. It also comes equipped with a facility that is able to harvest rainwater.

In 2016, the KCA (Kerala Cricket Association) made an agreement to lease the stadium until the end of 2027. According to the contract, the KCA can use the stadium from the 1st October to the 31st January and then from the 1st April to the 30th of May. However, if the stadium is not being used, the KCA can host cricket matches here outside of the aforementioned time periods. They will be responsible for maintaining the playing area and will share any of the revenue from international matches with Kariyavattom Sports Facilities Limited (KSFL).

This stadium was chosen by the BCCI to host the final ODI of a 5-match series against the West Indies. However, the KCA decided that it would be better if the match was played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi) instead. Kerala Blasters’ football fans did not agree with this decision as they thought that reconstructing the pitch to make it suitable for a cricket game would cause damage that could end up causing injuries to their players. The situation became so tense that the great Sachin Tendulakr (who was co-owner of Kerala Blasters) decided to speak out against the decision. Sourav Ganguly and a couple of footballers also joined in with showing their disapproval.

What Exciting International Games Have Been Played at This Ground?

• India V West Indies in 2018: This is the only ODI match that has been played at this stadium, but those in attendance got to witness their team complete a resounding victory. The West Indies batted first but were bowled out for a measly 104 runs inside 32 Ravindra Jadeja was the star bowler as he picked up 4 wickets for 34 runs from the 9.5 overs that he bowled.

  In reply, India lost Shikhar Dhawan cheaply, but Rohit Sharma’s 63 and Virat Kohli’s 33 helped see their side home with 35 overs to spare. This meant that India won the series 3-1.

• India V New Zealand in 2017: This a night T20 match that was reduced to 8 overs per side due to some dodgy weather. India batted first and scored 67 runs off of their allotted overs. Manish Pandey top scored with 17 In reply, the Kiwis could only manage 61 runs, meaning that the home team won the match by 6 runs.

As of November 2019, these are the only two international cricket matches that have been played at this stadium. However, the stadium is due to host a T20I match between India and the West Indies on the 8th December 2019. This is great news because such a fantastic stadium deserves to be hosting more than a couple of international matches.

In fact, India is hosting the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2023 Cricket World Cup, and we are pretty sure that this stadium will be granted at least a group match or two in both of these prestigious tournaments.

Some Fun Statistics to Enjoy

There are not many statistics available at the moment due to the fact that only two international matches have been played at this stadium - one was a complete walkover while the second was reduced to just a mere 8 overs per side.

This stadium will definitely host more international cricket matches in the future and, when it does, we will add some fun stats to this section.

Should You Watch a Game at This Swanky Stadium?

If you are in Thiruvananthapuram and there is any sort of cricket match being played at the stadium, then we recommend that you make an effort to go and watch it. If 50,000 people are crammed in to watch the match, just imagine the atmosphere that you will be able to experience. Furthermore, how often do you get to say that you have been to a fully environmentally friendly stadium. Not every day, we bet!

Many cricket stadiums in the country do not permit the public to enter when no matches are being played. However, as Greenfield International Stadium is more than just a cricket stadium, it is open to the public when no cricket matches are being played. After you have seen the stadium, you can make use of all the other facilities and end the day by watching one of the latest movies.

Is it Easy to Get to the Stadium?

Greenfield International Stadium is located opposite Kerala University, meaning that it is very easy to get to when using public transport. All you have to do is get off at any stop that is close to the university and you will be just a short walking distance from the stadium. If you don’t really feel like travelling using public transport, you can take a taxi for a reasonable price.

After you have ticked this stadium off of your bucket list, you should use the rest of the time that you have to see some of the other amazing sites around this city. We highly recommend that you visit Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kovalam Beach, Poovar Island, Thiruvananthapuram Zoo, Aazhimala Siva Temple, and Vizhinjam Lighthouse. You will obviously need somewhere to sleep during your stay, so you will be happy to hear that you won’t have any issues when it comes to finding a suitable hotel for you. No matter what your budget or style is, you will easily find what you are looking for.