Hambantota International Cricket Stadium
| Sooriyawewa International Cricket Stadium | |
| Ground information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sooriyawewa, Hambantota, Sri Lanka |
| Coordinates | 6°21′23″N 81°1′35″E / 6.35639°N 81.02639°ECoordinates: 6°21′23″N 81°1′35″E / 6.35639°N 81.02639°E |
| Establishment | 2009 |
| Capacity | 35,000 |
| Owner | Sri Lanka Cricket |
| Operator | Sri Lanka Cricket |
| Tenants | Sri Lanka Cricket |
| End names | |
| Thanamalwila End Sooriyawewa End |
|
| International information | |
| First ODI | 20 February 2011: Sri Lanka v  Canada |
| Last ODI | 8 July 2017: Sri Lanka v  Zimbabwe |
| First T20I | 1 June 2012: Sri Lanka v  Pakistan |
| Last T20I | 6 August 2013: Sri Lanka v  South Africa |
| As of 8 July 2017 Source: ESPNCricinfo |
|
Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium better known as Sooriyawewa International Cricket Stadium (Sinhalese: මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්යන්තර ක්රීඩාංගනය, සූරියවැව ජාත්යන්තර ක්රීඩාංගනය ), and abbreviately as MRIC Stadium, is an international cricket stadium in Hambantota, Sri Lanka. It was built for the 2011 Cricket World Cup and hosted two matches, the first being Sri Lanka against Canada, on 20 February 2011. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people making It the second largest stadium in Sri Lanka.
The proposal for a new International Cricket Stadium at Sooriyawewa was part of the government's programme to develop sports in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka as part of the government's plan to transform Hambantota into the second major urban hub of Sri Lanka, away from Colombo.
The following 2011 Cricket World Cup matches were held at Hambantota International Cricket Stadium in February, 2011. The first official international match was between Sri Lanka and Canada on 20 February 2011, which Sri Lanka won by 210 runs. Two matches were played at the venue during the World Cup.
The Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium hosted three 2012 ICC World Twenty20 matches. The curator of the ground is Ravi Dissanayake and Manager is Colonel Shanaka Ratnayake.
With low coverage of international matches in very rural area, it has come under extreme criticism and has been called a white elephant as only a few matches are held in the stadium considering the extreme costs for construction and maintenance. The ministers of opposition criticize that former government has hidden the true story of actual cost for its construction. To gain revenue the Stadium is often hired out for wedding receptions however Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed that the stadium should be used for training purposes to gain revenue.
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