Narendra Modi Stadium: The World's Largest Cricket Ground
The history of the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad — the world's largest cricket ground by capacity, host of major ICC events and IPL finals, and India's most modern cricket venue.
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (formerly known as the Sardar Patel Stadium / Motera Stadium) is the largest cricket ground in the world by seating capacity — 132,000 spectators. It surpassed the MCG's 100,000 capacity to claim the title when its rebuilt version was inaugurated in February 2020.
Construction and Redesign
The original Motera Stadium was demolished in 2015 and rebuilt entirely. The rebuilt stadium features 11 pitches, four dressing rooms, an Olympic-size swimming pool, indoor cricket academy, and 76 corporate boxes. The capacity of 132,000 is distributed across 4 tiers of seating surrounding the entire ground. The outfield and pitch area are among the most modern in world cricket.
Inaugural Matches
The rebuilt stadium was inaugurated in February 2020 with a 'Namaste Trump' event attended by US President Donald Trump. Its first major cricket event was an India-England ODI series in March 2021. The stadium hosted the 2023 ODI World Cup final between India and Australia.
IPL and Franchise Cricket
Gujarat Titans (GT) — the 2022 and 2023 IPL champions — used the Narendra Modi Stadium as their home ground in their first two seasons. The stadium's enormous capacity means IPL matches here can set crowd records even when not sold out, as 80,000 fans at a 130,000-capacity ground still represents one of the world's largest cricket match attendances.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capacity of the Narendra Modi Stadium?
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has a seating capacity of 132,000 — the largest of any cricket ground in the world, surpassing the Melbourne Cricket Ground's 100,000. It was rebuilt and opened in 2020.
What was the Narendra Modi Stadium previously called?
The stadium was previously known as the Sardar Patel Stadium and before that the Motera Stadium. It was renamed the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in February 2020 when the rebuilt version was inaugurated.
What cricket events has the Narendra Modi Stadium hosted?
The Narendra Modi Stadium hosted the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final (Australia beat India), multiple India home Test matches, and serves as home ground for Gujarat Titans in the IPL. It is expected to host ICC events and bilateral series regularly going forward.