The Asgiriya International Stadium is a familiar name to cricket-lovers across the world. Situated in the historic city of Kandy in Sri Lanka, the famous Asgiriya Stadium is tied to the legacy of cricket in this small island nation. Built in British Colonial times, the stadium continues to hold a special place in the international cricketing arena.
Situated a few minutes from the bustling town centre and Earl’s Regent Kandy, a visit to the prestigious Asgiriya Stadium is one of the highly recommended things to do in Kandy. Not only is it a popular venue for Test cricket matches, it is also the world’s only international-standard cricket stadium belonging to a school. Trinity College not only owns the Asgiriya Stadium but has also produced some of Sri Lanka’s greatest cricketers including Ranjan Madugalle and Kumar Sangakkara.
Work on the Asgiriya Stadium was commissioned in 1910 by then school Principal Rev. A.G. Fraser and was ceremoniously opened in January, 1915 by the Governor, Sir Robert Chalmers. Due to the difficulty of finding flat land amidst the rolling hills of Sri Lanka’s Central Province, the Asgiriya Stadium was built by carving the hill behind the present-day pavilion and flattening it by 10 feet. The venue hosted many inter-school cricket tournaments before its foray into the international cricketing arena with Sri Lanka being granted Test Cricket status in 1982. In three months, the ground was transformed into international Test Cricket standards becoming the second Test Cricket stadium in Sri Lanka.
Starting with the Sri Lanka-England match in 1982, the Asgiriya Stadium has hosted 22 Test Matches in its 100 year history with only seven being won by the hosts. The stadium witnessed the 1996 World Cup fixture between Sri Lanka and Kenya and watched Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan claim his 709th test wicket to become the highest wicket-taker. Regarded as one of the most beautiful cricket stadiums in the world, the Asgiriya Stadium continues to groom the next generation of cricketers and a visit will allow you to watch these talented, young cricketers at play under the watchful eyes of the majestic Old Pavilion and the Trinity College Chapel.
