Chepauk Stadium undergoes renovation for better drainage system and outfield

The renovation process is underway at the historic MA Chidambaram Stadium, also known as the Chepauk Stadium, in Chennai ahead of the jam-packed cricketing roster for the iconic venue. The 2025/26 domestic season is set to commence in the upcoming weeks. The ground is also slated to host a few games during the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2026, where India is one of the hosts along with Sri Lanka.

In a video shared by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, the entire perimeter of the ground barring the centre has been dug up. Several reports have claimed that the outfield is being replaced with a fresh one, while a world-class drainage system is also set to be installed at the venue, expediting the resumption of action for rain-marred encounters.

The process of change in drainage facilities and outfield is being carried out, which indirectly promises some quality cricket to be played at one of the oldest venues in the country. A lot of cricket is expected to be played at the venue, barring international cricket. It is, however, unclear whether the venue will be fully prepared to host games during the upcoming Ranji Trophy season, beginning October 15.

Chepauk's heritage

Chepauk has been long known for assisting spinners through the spin-conducive dry and dusty conditions offered, in particular during Test matches. It is the second-oldest venue of the country. The Chidambaram was established in 1916.

The most-recent international game played here was the second T20I of the five-match series between India and England. In hindsight, it turned out to be the closest of the five 20-over encounters. Tilak Varma's unbeaten 72-run knock off 55 deliveries accompanied by a couple of catches carried the Men in Blue to a two-wicket victory with four deliveries to spare.

It is also home to five-time Indian Premier League champions, Chennai Super Kings, who had a forgettable IPL 2025. They ended up rock bottom for the first time in IPL history, with only four wins from 14 games. Chepauk, which has usually been CSK's fortress, was anything but that. The Men in Yellow won only one out of six matches played there.

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Tamil Nadu, which ended up getting knocked out by Vidarbha in the quarter-final of the 2024-25 Ranji season, did not play a single match at Chepauk, as Coimbatore hosted all of the home games for the Sai Kishore-led side.