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R. Premadasa Stadium is one of the most famous and one of the oldest cricket stadiums in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The stadium is also commonly referred to as Khettarama Stadium, Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium, or simply as the Premadasa Stadium.
The stadium was established in 1986 and is one of the crucial venues for the Sri Lankan Cricket. The stadium is also known as the “Home of Sri Lankan Cricket“.
Ground Information
| Established | 1986 |
| Capacity | 35,000 |
| End Names | Khettarama End, Maligawatte End |
| Floodlight | 6 |
| Owner | Sri Lanka Cricket |
| Stands | Block A: Upper Level Block B: Upper Level Block C: Upper Level Block D: Upper Level Block A: Lower Level Block B: Lower Level Block C: Lower Level Block D: Lower Level Grand Stand Top level North Stand South Stand |
R Premadasa Cricket Stadium Layout | Khettarama Stadium Layout | Map
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International Information
| First Test | Sri Lanka vs Australia 28 August – 2 September 1992 |
| First ODI | Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 5 April 1986 |
| First T20I | Sri Lanka vs India 10 February 2009 |
| First WODI | Sri Lanka vs Netherland 29 March 1999 |
| First WT20I | England vs New Zealand 4 October 2012 |
History of R Premadasa Cricket Stadium
Ranasinghe Premadasa late Sri Lankan president had an idea of opening a 40,000-seater cricket stadium. He supported the development of the stadium which would be the largest cricket stadium in Sri Lanka. The stadium was built on a wetland that monks used to ferry across to the nearby Khettarama temple.
The Inaugural match played on this ground was on 9 March 1986 an ODI match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan team.
An inaugural test match on this ground was hosted between Sri Lanka and Australia on 28 August 1992.
The stadium was referred to as the Khettarama Cricket Stadium until 1994.
The stadium has hosted over 100 ODI matches and is also famous for setting the world record for the highest Test total in a match between Sri Lanka vs India where the home team Sri Lanka declared for a massive 952/6 runs against the visitors India in 1997/98. Former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama scored 340 and 225 respectively. The pair stitched a partnership of 576 runs for the second wicket.
Khettarama Stadium was the first to host a T20I match in Sri Lanka, the match was between Sri Lanka and India played on 10 February 2009.
Renovation of R Premadasa Cricket Stadium | Khettarama Stadium Renovation
R Premadasa Stadium was chosen as one of the venues to host the 2011 Cricket World Cup. The stadium was to host seven World Cup matches including quarter-final and semi-final matches.
The stadium underwent major renovations in 2009 to host the 2011 Cricket World Cup. The seating capacity of the stadium was increased from 14,000 to 40,000 with four new major stands. New media boxes were built which had the capacity to accommodate 200 journalists, refurbished dressing rooms, VIP car parking, and other upgrades costing $8 million (80 Lakhs INR).
R Premadas Stadium Pitch Report
R Premadasa Pitch report suggests the pitch at Khettarama Stadium is slow also the outfield is slow with short boundaries. The pitch at R Premadasa Stadium favors the Spinners. As the game progresses the pitch starts to slow down and spinners become more lethal and start to capitalize on the opportunity.
Apart from that the pitch is also good for batting. The team winning the toss will preferably choose to bat first and score runs initially. Sri Lankan legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has spelled his magic on this surface. The pitch has nothing to offer for the seamers and the pacers get no assist from the pitch here.
Cricket World Cup Matches at R Premadasa Stadium Colombo
The Premadasa Stadium has hosted 8 World Cup matches to date one in the 1996 Cricket World Cup and seven in the 2011 Cricket World Cup including the high voltage quarter-final and semi-final.
1996 ICC Cricket World Cup
- Sri Lanka vs Australia
2011 ICC Cricket World Cup
- Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
- Kenya vs Sri Lanka
- Pakistan vs Canada
- Sri Lanka vs Australia
- Australia vs Pakistan
- England vs Sri Lanka (Quarter-Finals)
- New Zealand vs Sri Lanka (Semi-Finals)
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R Premadasa Cricket Stadium Location | Khettarama Stadium Location
R Premadasa Cricket Stadium is located at the following address
Khettarama Temple Rd, Colombo 01000, Sri Lanka
FAQ
Q) What is the Capacity of R Premadasa Stadium
R Premadasa Stadium has a seating capacity of 35,000 seats.
Q) When was R Premadasa Stadium Established
The Premadasa Stadium was established in the year 1986 and is one of the most famous and oldest cricket stadiums in Sri Lanka.
Q) Is Premadasa Stadium a Batting or Bowling Pitch
The pitch at Premadasa Stadium is batting-friendly but favors the spinners. The pitch is slow and slows down as the game progresses. Spinners play an important role in this stadium and the batsmen will have to be careful while playing against them.