Hosting an ODI match might not carry the same prestige it used once upon a time but there are some grounds which have etched their name in history books for hosting many matches. In this article, we will take a look at 10 such grounds where the most number of ODIs has been hosted.
Most ODI matches in a stadium
| Ground | Country | Matches |
| Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah | United Arab Emirates | 247 |
| Harare Sports Club, Harare | Zimbabwe | 179 |
| Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Sydney | Australia | 160 |
| Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne | Australia | 150 |
| R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo | Sri Lanka | 145 |
| Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka | Bangladesh | 120 |
| Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | Zimbabwe | 90 |
| Adelaide Oval, Adelaide | Australia | 86 |
| W.A.C.A Ground, Perth | Australia | 80 |
| Eden Park, Auckland | New Zealand | 79 |
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Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE
The Sharjah Cricket Stadium, located in the United Arab Emirates’ emirate of Sharjah, was erected in the early 1980s and immediately rose to prominence as a regular venue for competitions as one-day cricket gained enormous popularity after India’s World Cup victory in 1983. The stadium hosted 198 ODIs and four Test matches between 1984 and 2003, drawing sizable audiences, mainly from the area’s sizable Asian expat community. Pakistan played games there in 2002 because of political unrest at home.
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Harare Sports Club, Zimbabwe
Harare Sports Club is located in the center of the city and is surrounded by jacaranda trees. It also has a lovely gabled pavilion. It is surrounded on two sides by the exclusive Royal Harare Gold Club and the strongly guarded presidential mansion. The HSC has served as Zimbabwe’s primary Test and one-day venue ever since it hosted the nation’s maiden Test in October 1992.
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Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Australia
The Sydney Cricket Ground, one of the most well-known cricket stadiums in the world, is located in Moore Park in the east of the city. Although it has a relatively small capacity (just over 40,000) for a stadium in a big city, this directly benefits the spectators by guaranteeing that they can watch the action from almost anywhere on the field. The iconic stadium has hosted 160 ODIs.
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Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Australia
Australians consider the Melbourne Cricket Ground to be the country’s top sporting arena. It has hosted numerous major cricket and Australian Rules Football matches, as well as many other important sporting events, for more than a century. It had a capacity of about 125,000 until a series of changes in the 1980s and 1990s; since then, the expansion of individual seats to nearly all of its reaches has brought that number down to closer to 97,000.
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R.Premadasa Stadium, Sri Lanka
The R. Premadasa International Stadium, the largest stadium in the nation, was the brainchild of the late Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa. It was formerly known as the Khetterama Cricket Stadium, named for the neighbourhood in Colombo where it is located. Sri Lanka and New Zealand played in the first one-day international on April 5, 1986.
Conclusion
In the ever-evolving landscape of cricket, certain grounds have stood the test of time, etching their names into the annals of the sport’s history by hosting a multitude of One Day International (ODI) matches. These iconic venues have witnessed countless moments of cricketing glory, and their significance transcends the shifting tides of prestige associated with hosting ODIs. At the forefront of this list stands the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates, a ground that became synonymous with one-day cricket’s rise to prominence in the 1980s. Harare Sports Club, nestled in the heart of Zimbabwe’s capital, has provided a picturesque backdrop to 179 ODIs. Australia boasts two iconic venues in the top five, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The SCG, with 160 ODIs, combines history and intimacy, offering spectators an up-close and personal experience. Meanwhile, the MCG, Australia’s sporting mecca, has been the stage for 150 ODIs, showcasing its rich tradition and capacity to host mammoth crowds. Sri Lanka’s R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, named after the visionary President Ranasinghe Premadasa, has witnessed 145 ODIs.