Chemplast Cricket Ground

Chemplast Cricket Ground in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is a compact cricket venue with a capacity of 8,000, owned by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. Established in 1998 and associated with the Chemplast chemical industries group, the ground hosted India Women vs England Women ODI cricket in December 2003. The venue provides Chennai with a dedicated women's cricket facility and has been instrumental in supporting Tamil Nadu women's cricket development. With Chennai having a rich tradition of producing world-class cricketers, Chemplast Cricket Ground has contributed to this legacy by offering quality playing surfaces and facilities for emerging women cricketers from the Tamil Nadu domestic circuit.

The Chemplast Cricket Ground or Indian Institute of Technology Chemplast Ground is a cricket ground within the IIT Madras campus, in Velachery, Chennai.

The ground is an important cricket venue in Chennai, and used for practice sessions by the Indian national cricket team. Chemplast is described by cricketer Sachin Tendulkar as the most scenic in the country. It is set amongst lush greenery and the backdrop of the Guindy National Park.

The ground has hosted eight Women's cricket ODI. The first match record at the ground was in 2003 India Women's and New Zealand Women's.

Getting into the ground in Chennai is half the fun. It's loud, it's chaotic, and it's brilliant. The local Tamil Nadu Cricket Association folks finally sorted out the floodlight setups and the drainage—which used to be a massive headache during the rainy months. Now? A quick shower rolls through and they're back playing almost instantly. It's a proper old-school cricket vibe with just enough modern polish to keep things comfortable.

Let's talk about the pitch. It's your classic red soil deck. First morning? The seamers usually get the ball to talk. It nips around just enough to keep the slips interested. But once the sun bakes it, the track flattens out beautifully. By day three, you'll see batters just planting their front foot and trusting the bounce. If you're a spinner, you better hope there's some rough outside the off-stump, otherwise it's a long, long day.

The sheer volume of 8,000 fans packed into the stands is mental. They established this place back in 1998, and it feels like the ghosts of past games are still hanging around. Touring teams hate coming here. The crowd gets under your skin. They chant, they sing, and they do not stop. It's exhausting in the best possible way.

They occasionally pull the boundary ropes in for the shorter formats to guarantee fireworks. And yeah, it works. The crowd wants sixes, and they get them. But during the longer formats, the ground staff push them right back out. You have to genuinely time the ball to perfection to clear the ropes. No cheap edges flying into the crowd here.

Honestly, the whole local economy runs on this stadium during the season. Every hotel gets booked out. The street vendors make a killing selling jerseys and flags. It’s not just a patch of grass; it’s an economic engine. When the lights go on and the crowds flood in, the entire neighborhood comes alive.