Royale Retreat Hotel

CHAIL CRICKET GROUND

CHAIL CRICKET GROUND

India has the highest cricket ground in the world. Yes, you heard it right. The Chail Cricket Ground is located in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. It sits 2444 meters above sea level, which places it on top of the list of highest cricket grounds in the world. The playground is surrounded by thick forests and is often used for school activities by the Chail Military School. The area also has a neatly maintained basketball play arena.

The man behind this human-made marvel is Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala. He was an ardent cricket lover, and he set up this sports arena in the year 1893. He leveled a hill-top to set up the Chail Cricket Ground. The ground has been featured in the Guinness Book of World Records and has seen no competition to date. Since no competitive cricket is being held here, the Guinness Book of Records decided to delete the documentation a few years back.

The Chail Cricket Ground is surrounded by huge deodar and pine trees, and one can watch the mighty snow-capped Himalayas spectacularly gleaming in the sun from this location. Although the ground has not hosted competitive cricket for a considerable amount of time, the area is used by well-known cricketers for their yearly game practice. The ground is currently under the possession of the army to facilitate its cadet training.

THE STORY BEHIND CHAIL CRICKET GROUND:

There was a small argument between Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and Lord Kitchener in 1891. This resulted in the Maharaja being banned from entering Shimla, the summer capital of the British Raj. The frustrated and enraged Maharaja vowed to make a new summer capital for himself. He set up a beautiful and elegant palace and rebuilt the city of Chail as per his requirements.