Eden Gardens in Kolkata is easily the biggest cricket ground in the country and one of the biggest in the world. Known to have had a capacity of more than a hundred thousand, it can now accommodate 90,000 spectators post renovations.

Eden Gardens hosted its first-ever Test match in 1934 when India played England -Douglas Jardine’s side managed to draw the game against the hosts. After five successive draws, Eden Gardens finally saw a result when Australia beat India in 1956.

In 1987, Eden Gardens hosted its first-ever ODI against Pakistan, and India's arch-rivals went on to beat the hosts by a couple of wickets and three balls to spare thanks to Salim Malik's 72 runs off 36 balls. India have played Pakistan thrice on this ground but have yet to win a single game, whereas Pakistan have played here on five occasions and lost only once. South Africa played its first-ever ODI – on their return to the international cricketing fraternity – in 1991, and saw Allan Donald scalp five wickets in a match that was a lost cause. The Proteas were involved in another close encounter in the semi-final of the Hero Cup (1993) when Sachin Tendulkar bowled India to a two-run victory thanks to an excellent last over.

Among the notable Indian wins here was the comeback against the Aussies who had won 16 games in a row and looked set to clinch their 17th in 2001. VVS Laxman entered the record books by batting out the fourth day of the game together with his partner, Rahul Dravid - both batsmen scored huge centuries. In the same game, Harbhajan Singh became the first-ever Indian bowler to capture a hat-trick in a Test match.

Eden Gardens will play host to all seven home games of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2011 edition of the Indian Premier League.