Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium

Location: Dharamsala Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India
Capacity: 23,000
Home teams:

• Indian Cricket Team
• Himachal Pradesh Cricket Team
• Kings XI Punjab

Abbreviated as the HPCA Stadium, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium is located in the picturesque city of Dharamshala District in Himachal Pradesh, India. The town of is best known as the home of the Dalai Lama of Tibet.

A trip to HPCA Stadium will require a little more planning that an average visit to a cricket venue. The drive from Chandigarh airport will take between 5-6 hours full of unpaved, bumpy roads. But the effort is worth it, no one who goes to HPCA Stadium is disappointed by the beauty of the Dhauladhar mountains. The section of the Himalayas overlook the venue, treating spectators to views of snow capped peaks with heights of approximately 5,600 metres (18,370 feet).

The ground itself sits at 1,457 metres (4,780 feet) above sea level making it the highest international cricket ground in the world. It also features a stunning red pagoda pavilion that stands out immediately upon entering the venue.

In 2010, the Dalai Lama held a ‘spiritual dialogue’ with the players of home side, Kings XI Punjab before an Indian Premier League (IPL) game. Unfortunately, they still lost.

ODIs have been held at the stadium since 2013 with the first between India and England on January 27th and and it also hosted several games during the 2016 T20 World Cup. To add to this impressive venue, India also hosted a test match against Australia in 2017.