- Established: 2009.
- Capacity: 20,000.
- Playing area: 80.0m long, 75.0m wide.
- Floodlights: Yes installed in 2010.
- End names: Hunnasgiriya End, Rikillagaskada End.
- Curator: Asitha Wijesinghe.
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium also known as MuttiahMuralitharan International Cricket Stadium, is one of the newest cricket stadiums in Sri Lanka and the newest in the city of Kandy.
The stadium was declared opened on November 27, 2009. Pallekele International Cricket Stadium became the 104th Test venue in the world in December 2010. The first Test was played between Sri Lanka and the West Indies from 1–5 December. The stadium is Sri Lanka’s eighth Test venue.
The five-storied media box provides all facilities for both print and electronic sports journalists to report proceedings comfortably. The stadium is located about a half-hour drive from Kandy. The Pallekele stadium is wholly owned by Sri Lanka Cricket and is set to displace the Asgiriya Stadium, which has hosted Tests from 1983 to 2007, as the international venue of choice around Kandy. The stadium was built by the State Engineering Corporation of Sri Lanka along the lines of SuperSport Park in Centurion, South Africa.
History
The stadium has been built for the 2011 Cricket World Cup along with Hambantota International Cricket Stadium. The first Test Cricket match played at the stadium was between Sri Lanka and the West Indies from December 1 to December 5, 2010. The first One Day International match at the venue was played between New Zealand and Pakistan on 8 March 2011. Pallekele is also the host for the Kandurata cricket team. Pallekele International Cricket stadium host nine 2012 ICC World Twenty20 matches.
