Narendra Modi Stadium Ahmedabad: The World's Largest Cricket Ground

Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is the world's largest cricket stadium by capacity — holding 132,000 spectators. Formerly known as Sardar Patel Stadium or Motera Stadium, it was renamed in 2021 following a $100 million complete reconstruction. No cricket ground on the planet can match its scale: when full, it generates an atmosphere of noise and energy unlike anything in cricket.

History: From Motera to the World's Largest Stadium

Cricket has been played at the Motera site in Ahmedabad since 1982. The original Sardar Patel Stadium held around 50,000 spectators and hosted Tests from 1983 onwards. The Gujarat Cricket Association undertook a complete demolition and rebuild from 2015 to 2020, producing a modern oval stadium three times the original size. The redesigned ground was renamed Narendra Modi Stadium in February 2021 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump attended a 'Namaste Trump' event there — the first stadium-scale event at the new venue.

The Stadium's Scale

Narendra Modi Stadium's capacity of 132,000 exceeds every other stadium in the world dedicated to a single sport. The Melbourne Cricket Ground holds 100,024 and Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang (used for mass games) is the only structure with higher nominal capacity. The cricket stadium features four dressing rooms, 11 pitches, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, indoor cricket academy, and a clubhouse restaurant.

India vs England 2021 — Pink Ball Test

The new stadium hosted its first full Test — a day-night pink ball match — in February 2021, with India defeating England in less than two days (India won by 10 wickets inside 7 hours of play). The pitch, prepared on the new surface, turned sharply almost from ball one — Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel devastated England's batting. Critics questioned the pitch preparation, but the ground itself drew universal praise.

The 2023 World Cup Final

On 19 November 2023, Narendra Modi Stadium hosted the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Final between India and Australia. Around 92,000 spectators filled the ground — the largest crowd ever to watch a cricket World Cup final. India, unbeaten through the tournament, were favourites. Australia won the match by six wickets, with Travis Head scoring 137 off 120 balls. The stadium's scale and the emotional weight of India losing in front of 92,000 of their own fans made it one of cricket's most dramatic finals.

Date: 19 November 2023. Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Attendance: ~92,000. India 240 all out (50 overs). Australia 241/4 (43 overs). Travis Head 137 (120 balls). Result: Australia won by 6 wickets, their sixth ODI World Cup title.

Gujarat Titans and IPL

Gujarat Titans, the IPL franchise based in Ahmedabad, play home matches at Narendra Modi Stadium. The Titans won the IPL in their debut season (2022) and again in 2023, making the ground the site of two consecutive IPL Finals within their championship years. The franchise brought major cricket to Ahmedabad that the city had historically lacked, and the stadium's size allows capacity crowds of 50,000-60,000 for IPL matches.

Visiting the Stadium

Narendra Modi Stadium is located in Motera, a suburb approximately 8 km from central Ahmedabad. The stadium complex includes extensive parking facilities and is accessible via the Ahmedabad Metro. Guided tours of the stadium are available on non-match days. The cricket academy attached to the ground trains junior players from across Gujarat under professional coaches.