Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (Kandy)
One of the most beautiful Cricket ground in the world With a capacity of 35,000 the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy was established in the year 2009. One of the newest stadiums in Sri Lanka, this ground was specially built to replace the Asgiriya Stadium which hosted Test matches from 1983 to 2007. The stadium was opened on 27 November 2009 and became the 104th Test venue in the world in December 2010.
Location
The stadium is located in Beautiful Pallekele about a half-hour drive east of Kandy. The stadium is wholly owned by Sri Lanka Cricket and has a capacity of 35,000.
History
The stadium was built for the 2011 Cricket World Cup along with Hambantota International Cricket Stadium. The first Test match on this stadium between Sri Lanka and the West Indies was played from 1 to 5 December 2010. The first One Day International match at the venue was played between New Zealand and Pakistan on 8 March 2011. following which ODIs were hosted from the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. Along with being the home ground for the Sri Lankan national side. The stadium is also one of the grounds to host matches from the 2012 ICC World Twenty20.
Records In This Venue
- Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga added a 282 run partnership for the first wicket against Zimbabwe on 26 March 2011. This is the highest partnership for the first wicket in a Cricket World Cup match.
- Sri Lanka’s Suranga Lakmal joined the likes of Kapil Dev and Imran Khan in becoming the third bowler to take a Test wicket off the first ball at a new venue.
- Tillakaratne Dilshan scored a Twenty20 International century against Australia, becoming the second Sri Lankan to score centuries in all formats.
- Highest individual Test score at the venue is 176 scored by Kusal Mendis against Australia in 2016
- On 7 September 2016, Australia recorded the Highest Twenty20 International total ever by scoring 263/3 against Sri Lanka, who previously held the record (260/6).
- On 6 September 2019 against New Zealand, Lasith Malinga took four-in-four wickets in T20Is. It was his second four-in-four in international formats. He also took 100th wicket in T20Is in the same match, becoming the first cricketer to take 100 wickets in all three formats.
