Bombay Gymkhana

Picture of the Bombay Gymkhana
Ground information
Location	South Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Establishment	June 19th 1875
Capacity	15,000 (but has held up to 50,000)
Owner	Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
Architect	Claude Batley
Operator	Bombay Gymkhana
Tenants	Indian Rugby Team Local Clubs
End names
n/a
International information
Only Test	December 15, 1933:  India v  England
As of August 12 2015 Source: Bombay Gymkhana Ground, Cricinfo

Bombay Gymkhana (Marathi: मुंबई जिमख़ाना),(Hindi: मुंबई जिमख़ाना), established in 1875, is one of the premiere gymkhanas (sports arena) in the city of Mumbai, India. Bombay Gymkhana Rugby Club (rugby union) are tenants.

It is located in the South Mumbai area and was originally built as a British-only club, designed by English architect, Claude Batley.

The Gymkhana Grounds lie in the southern end of the Azad Maidan. The ground itself is on leased property. It has a triangular area, with the southern end facing the VSNL building. MG Road and H Somal Marg are the two roads on either end that begin from the southern end. It is boxed in by a shortcut lane which connects Churchgate to Victoria Terminus.

A long building which serves as the lobby, table tennis area, badminton court, restaurant and lounge connects the two roads. The region between the building and the lane is a large ground. It is very difficult to get membership into this exclusive club.

Cricket is played here in the winter months, and rugby and football (soccer) in the monsoon months. This used to be major centre for the erstwhile Bombay Pentangular cricket matches. The ground had the distinction of hosting India's first Test cricket match on 15 December 1933, captained by CK Nayudu. Temporary stands were put up at the ground to accommodate a record crowd of 50,000 people, with tickets selling at five times their usual price. The match is remembered for Lala Amarnaths century, noted to be one of the best innings played in Indian cricket. It hasn't hosted any senior matches since the Brabourne Stadium took its place in 1937, replacing the ground as the venue for the Bombay Pentangular as well as international matches.