T20 World Cup Matches in MA Chidambaram Stadium: Schedule, stats, records, teams, pitch report

Chidambaram Stadium venue record ahead of T20 WC [Source: X]

The T20 World Cup 2026 is set to commence in a couple of weeks, and all the venues have been locked in as 20 teams will go against each other for the battle of supremacy. India will get five venues to host the mega event, and one of those venues is the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The venue will host seven T20 World Cup matches and will provide a different challenge for the teams as compared to the other Indian venues. The Stadium generally produces nail-biters, and we expect something on similar lines in the upcoming event.

Here is how many matches will take place at the venue, the teams that will compete here, and the kind of pitches the teams can expect in the World Cup.

T20 World Cup 2026 matches at MA Chidambaram Stadium

• Of all the teams in the group, New Zealand is the only team that has any T20I experience at this venue. They have played a solitary game at the venue, and interestingly, the team was victorious against India in 2012. The team has ample experience of playing in India, but they have only played a single game at the Chidambaram Stadium.
• Apart from the Kiwis, Afghanistan have also played a couple of games in Chennai, but interestingly, they were all ODI matches in the 2023 World Cup. However, the Asian side does have an idea about the Chidambaram pitch conditions and they do have the bowlers to exploit the venue to perfection.
• The other sides have zero experience of playing in Indian conditions, and Chennai will provide a different test for the teams like USA, Namibia and Canada.

MA Chidambaram Stadium T20I record

(Data by Howstat)

• The venue has hosted countless matches in the IPL, but at the international level, it has only hosted three games, with two matches won by the chasing side.
• The average first innings score at this venue has been 171, and the highest team total was registered by India (182/4).

How the pitch at the Chidambaram stadium will play out?

Historically, the Chidambaram Stadium surface is known as a paradise for the spinners as they enjoy bowling at this venue. This has been evident in the IPL tournament as the Chennai Super Kings have made this venue their fortress, and it is mainly due to the world-class spinners the team possesses.

The ball tends to grip as spinners bowl the majority of the overs in T20s at this venue. Generally, batting is easier in the first innings as the ball still comes onto the bat nicely, but as the game progresses, it gets slower, and spinners get into the contest as stroke-making becomes difficult.

Expect something on the similar lines as teams with the best set of spinners will relish playing here, while the others might struggle. Having had no recent games at this place, the surface will play out well for the first couple of games, but could get worn out as the tournament progresses.