# Narendra Modi Stadium

The Narendra Modi Stadium is the world's largest international cricket stadium located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, a state in west India. With a capacity of 132,000 (total), 114,600 (seated) it is the world's largest stadium. The stadium, owned by the Gujarat Cricket Association, hosts both domestic and international cricket matches. It is recognized as one of the world's premier cricket venues. The stadium has hosted several high-profile matches, such as the 2023 One Day International World Cup final. It was named after the 14th Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
This stadium replaced the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad which was used to host domestic and international cricket in the city until its demolition in 2015. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium was one of the most prominent cricket venues ; it hosted matches during the 1987, 1996, and 2011 ICC World Cups. In 2014, it was decided that a new stadium should be built on the same plot. The new stadium, originally named Motera Stadium, was designed by Australia's design firm Populous and built by Larsen and Toubro. It took five years to build, at an estimated cost of ₹800 crore (US$92 million). Once completed, the new arena replaced the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the world's largest cricket stadium. The stadium has four dressing rooms, 11 center pitches, and two practice grounds. The practice grounds can additionally serve as venues for domestic matches.
The new stadium was first opened to the public in 2020 amid the Namaste Trump event and the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2021, the stadium was renamed Narendra Modi Stadium in honor of the Indian Prime Minister at the time, Narendra Modi. The prime minister had previously served as chief minister of Gujarat (2001–2014) as well as president of the GCA (2009-2014). In 2021, the stadium was inaugurated with Indian President Ram Nath Kovind presiding over the event.
On 24 February 2021, the stadium hosted its first Test match, when home side India played against England. It was also its first day-night test game. On 29 September 2022, the opening ceremony of the 2022 National Games of India was held in the stadium.

## History
### 1983-2006

Prior to 1982, international cricket matches in Ahmedabad were played at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium (located in Navrangpura), owned by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
In 1982, the Government of Gujarat allocated a 400,000-square-metre (100-acre) stretch of land on the banks of the Sabarmati River to build a new stadium. Construction of the stadium was completed in nine months. The venue was originally known simply as Gujarat Stadium; however, it was soon renamed Sardar Patel Stadium (not to be confused with the previously mentioned site in Navrangpura), after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first home minister and deputy prime minister. Since its completion, all international cricket fixtures in Ahmedabad have been held at the site. In the 1984-85 Australia India series, Sardar Patel Stadium hosted its first ODI, which India lost.
At the arena, Sunil Gavaskar became the first batter to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, a feat he accomplished against Pakistan in their 1987 tour. In 1983, Kapil Dev took a nine-wicket haul against the West Indies and claimed his 432nd Test wicket at the stadium. This made him the highest wicket-taker in the world in 1995, breaking Sir Richard Hadlee's previous record. In 1996, the ground hosted a low-scoring Test match against South Africa, in which the visitors lost 105–223.
Sardar Patel Stadium hosted one game each in the 1987 and 1996 World Cups, including the first match of the 1996 World Cup between England and New Zealand.

### 2006–2015

In 2006, the stadium became the focal venue of the ICC Champions Trophy and hosted five of the 15 games played. In preparation for the tournament, the stadium was renovated to add three new pitches and a new outfield. Floodlights and covered stands were also introduced at the stadium as a part of the renovation program.
In the 2010 New Zealand tour of India, the first Test of the series was held at the venue, in which Kane Williamson scored a hundred on his Test debut.
The stadium hosted three games during the 2011 Cricket World Cup, including the quarterfinals between Australia and India . Sachin Tendulkar became the first cricketer to score 18,000 runs in ODIs in a game against Australia on 24 March 2011. .

### 2014–2020 (construction of new stadium)
#### Conception

The idea to build a new stadium was proposed by Narendra Modi himself who was the president of the Gujarat Cricket Association and the Chief Minister of Gujarat at the same time. Shortly before Modi moved to Delhi after becoming the prime minister of India, there were discussions about adding minor upgrades to the stadium and further developing areas of the structure at the pavilion end. Modi asked officials to build a new, larger stadium instead of pursuing minor renovation work.
In October 2015, the stadium was demolished for reconstruction, though some media referred to it as a renovation. The total cost of reconstruction was estimated to be ₹700 crores (₹7 billion (US$80 million)). However, the final cost was reported at ₹800 crore (US$92 million). The redevelopment, originally planned to be completed in 2019, finished in February 2020.

#### Bids

After starting demolition work at the end of 2015, the GCA issued a request for tender on 1 January 2016 in The Times of India and The Indian Express. Nine bidders showed interest and purchased the tender documents, out of which three submitted technical and financial bids on time; they were the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, Nagarjuna Construction Company, and Larsen & Toubro (L&T). A Tender Commercial Committee (TCC) of nine experts was formed to evaluate tenders. Additionally, STUP Consultants, a civil engineering consultancy firm based in Mumbai, was appointed as the project management consultant to evaluate proposals and technical details of each bid working with the TCC.
Each of the three bidders presented their designs, models, and technical details of their concepts and designs. Due to the sheer size and complexity of the project, the bidders were evaluated on many parameters. These included efficiency, resources, project length, and ease of implementation, among others. The bidders were ranked and weighted based on the parameters.
Bids Submitted for Sardar Vallabhai Patel's Reconstruction :
| Bidder | Bid | Evaluation | Notes |
| Larsen & Toubro | ₹677.19 crore (US$77 million) | Lowest-1 (L1) | Winning bid. Financially lowest and technically ranked first. |
| Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd. | ₹847.88 crore (US$97 million) | Lowest-2 (L2) | |
| Nagarjuna Construction Co. Ltd. | ₹1,065 crore (US$120 million) | Highest (L3) | |
In the end, Larsen &Turbo was selected as the principal contractor to build and design the stadium.

#### Building work

L&T took over the construction work of the stadium in December 2016. On 16 January 2017, the Gujarat Cricket Association oversaw the project, which formally began on the same day. The stadium was planned to be finished in 2 years, and the reconstruction project was estimated to cost around ₹700 crore ($93 million). Final completion of the stadium was finished in February 2020, and it hosted an England-India day-night test match in 2021.
Mumbai-based commercial kitchen consultant "Span Asia" was hired to collaborate with Populous and L&T on food and beverage-related areas such as concession counters, main stadium kitchens, player kitchens, VIP/VVIP boxes, corporate boxes, press & media boxes, pantries, the GCA Club, and related areas.

#### 2020–present

In 2020, the event "Namaste Trump" was organized at the stadium for the visit of US president Donald J. Trump to India. 125,000 attendees were recorded. Before it became clear that the complex would continue to use the name "Sardar Patel Sports Enclave" and that only the stadium would receive a new name, Congress first criticized the decision.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the 2022 National Games of India in the arena. It later became the home ground of IPL team Gujarat Titans. The venue hosted the 2022 and 2023 IPL finals.
The arena also hosted five matches of the 2023 Cricket World Cup, including the opening and final games, as well as high-profile matches pitting India against Pakistan and Australia against England.
British rock band Coldplay played two shows at the stadium on January 25 and 26, 2025, as part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour.

## Tournament results
### Cricket World Cup

| Year | Date | Team #1 | Team #2 | Round | Result |
| 1987 Cricket World Cup | 26 October 1987 | Zimbabwe | India | Group Stage | India won by 7 wickets |
| 1996 Cricket World Cup | 14 February 1996 | New Zealand | England | Group Stage | New Zealand won by 11 runs |
| 2011 Cricket World Cup | 21 February 2011 | Australia | Zimbabwe | Group Stage | Australia won by 91 runs |
| 2011 Cricket World Cup | 4 March 2011 | Zimbabwe | New Zealand | Group Stage | New Zealand won by 10 wickets |
| 2011 Cricket World Cup | 24 March 2011 | Australia | India | Quarter-Final | India won by 5 wickets |
| 2023 Cricket World Cup | 5 October 2023 | England | New Zealand | Group Stage | New Zealand won by 9 wickets |
| 2023 Cricket World Cup | 14 October 2023 | Pakistan | India | Group Stage | India won by 7 wickets |
| 2023 Cricket World Cup | 4 November 2023 | Australia | England | Group Stage | Australia won by 33 runs |
| 2023 Cricket World Cup | 10 November 2023 | Afghanistan | South Africa | Group Stage | South Africa won by 5 wickets |
| 2023 Cricket World Cup | 19 November 2023 | India | Australia | Final | Australia won by 6 wickets |

### ICC Champions Trophy

| Year | Date | Team #1 | Team #2 | Round | Result |
| 2006 ICC Champions Trophy | 8 October 2006 | Zimbabwe | West Indies | Qualifying round | West Indies won by 9 wickets |
| 2006 ICC Champions Trophy | 10 October 2006 | Sri Lanka | Zimbabwe | Qualifying round | Sri Lanka won by 144 runs |
| 2006 ICC Champions Trophy | 21 October 2006 | England | Australia | Group Stage | Australia won by 6 wickets |
| 2006 ICC Champions Trophy | 26 October 2006 | India | West Indies | Group Stage | West Indies won by 3 wickets |
| 2006 ICC Champions Trophy | 28 October 2006 | West Indies | England | Group Stage | England won by 3 wickets |

## Design and facilities

The stadium is built on 63 acres of land and has four entry points, with a metro line at one of the entry points. It has 76 corporate boxes that can hold 25 persons each, a 55-room clubhouse, an Olympic size swimming pool, and four dressing rooms. A food court and hospitality area are available in each spectator stand. The stadium also includes an indoor cricket academy and practice pitches, with dormitories for 40 athletes.
The stands generally follow a two-tier structure; however, there is a three-tier main pavilion. The two-tier structure is supported from beneath by numerous Y-shaped columns, which eliminate the need for pillars and thus give spectators an unobstructed view of the entire field from all parts of the stadium. An LED light system lines the stadium roof's inside edge. This eliminates the need for floodlights and helps reduce shadows on the pitch. The LED lights are installed on an antibacterial, fireproof canopy with PTFE membrane that covers 30 metres (98 ft) out of 55 metres (180 ft) width of the seating area. The roof was installed by Walter P. Moore, and was specifically designed to be lightweight and separate from the seating bowls in order to improve earthquake resistance.
The ground has 11 center pitches. The playing field has sensors to detect the need for water for the grass, which can automatically activate 67 fully automated underground pop-up sprinklers. The ground surface is made of Bermuda grass. The stadium has an extensive drainage system.
The stadium premises have many facilities, including an indoor cricket practice area, badminton, tennis, and squash courts, a table tennis area, a 3D projector theatre, three practice grounds, and 50 rooms. The parking lot can accommodate 3,000 cars and 10,000 two-wheelers. A ramp leading to the stadium is designed to facilitate the movement of around 60,000 people simultaneously. The arena has been designed in such a way that the upper stands can remain empty (such as during smaller events) while maintaining a sufficient crowd atmosphere. However, a game between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2024 saw a near houseful crowd of over 1 lakh.
There was a plan that the stadium would be connected to the nearest metro station by a skywalk bridge in order to decrease road congestion. Construction was planned to be completed after September 2020. As of November 2023, the skywalk is yet to be constructed.

## Political events
### Namaste Trump

In 2020, the stadium was the venue of the "Namaste Trump" event, which was organized for the maiden visit of US president Donald Trump to India by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. The event mirrored the "Howdy Modi" event held in Houston, Texas.

### 75 years of Friendship through Cricket Event

On 9 March 2023, Narendra Modi Stadium hosted the 75 Years of Friendship through Cricket Event, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese. The event was held in conjunction with the fourth Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia.
The event began with the two prime ministers singing the national anthems of their respective countries and shaking hands with the players of both teams. They then visited a gallery showcasing glimpses of 75 years of cricket friendship between the two countries. After the gallery visit, the two prime ministers took a lap of honor around the stadium in a specially designed golf cart. They were greeted by loud cheers from the crowd, who waved Indian and Australian flags. The event concluded with the two prime ministers tossing the coin to start the Test match.
The 75 Years of Friendship through Cricket Event was a celebration of the strong ties between India and Australia, which have been forged over many years through the shared love of cricket. The event was also an opportunity to promote sports diplomacy and to encourage people from both countries to come together and celebrate their friendship.

## ICC World Cup matches

Erstwhile Sardar Patel Stadium had hosted matches of ICC World cups:

### 1987 Cricket World Cup

* 26 October 1987 Scorecard
| Zimbabwe 191/7 (50 overs) | v | India 194/3 (42 overs) |
| Kevin Arnott 60 (126) Chetan Sharma 2/41 (10 overs) | | Navjot Sidhu 55 (61) Peter Rawson 2/46 (8 overs) |
* India won by 7 wickets Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, India Umpires: David Archer (West Indies) and Dickie Bird (England) Player of the match: Kapil Dev (India)

### 1996 Cricket World Cup

* 14 February Scorecard
| New Zealand 239/6 (50 overs) | v | England 228/9 (50 overs) |
| Nathan Astle 101 (132) Graeme Hick 2/45 (9 overs) | | Graeme Hick 85 (102) Dion Nash 3/26 (7 overs) |
* New Zealand won by 11 runs Gujarat Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad Umpires: B. C. Cooray (SL) and Steve Randell (NZ) Player of the match: Nathan Astle (NZ)

### 2011 Cricket World Cup

* 21 February 2011 (D/N)
| Australia 262/6 (50 overs) | v | Zimbabwe 171 (46.2 overs) |
| Shane Watson 79 (92) Christopher Mpofu 2/58 (9 overs) | | Graeme Cremer 37 (51) Mitchell Johnson 4/19 (9.2 overs) |
* Australia won by 91 runs Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad Attendance: 18,569 Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (Eng) and Asoka de Silva (NZ) Player of the match: Shane Watson (Aus)
* Australia won the toss and elected to bat
* 4 March 2011 (D/N)
| Zimbabwe 162 (46.2 overs) | v | New Zealand 166/0 (33.3 overs) |
| Brendan Taylor 44 (57) Tim Southee 3/29 (9.2 overs) | | Martin Guptill 86* (108) |
* New Zealand won by 10 wickets Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad Attendance: 7,000 Umpires: Aleem Dar and Marais Erasmus Player of the match: Martin Guptill (NZ)
* Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bat first
* 24 March 2011 (D/N)
| Australia 260/6 (50 overs) | v | India 261/5 (47.4 overs) |
| Ricky Ponting 104 (118) Yuvraj Singh 2/44 (10 overs) | | Yuvraj Singh 57* (65) David Hussey 1/19 (5 overs) |
* India won by 5 wickets Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad Attendance: 51,000 Umpires: Ian Gould and Marais Erasmus Player of the match: Yuvraj Singh (Ind)
* Australia won the toss and chose to bat first
* Sachin Tendulkar completed 18,000 runs in his ODI career in the match.

### 2023 Cricket World Cup

* 5 October 2023 14:00 (D/N) Scorecard
| England 282/9 (50 overs) | v | New Zealand 283/1 (36.2 overs) |
| Joe Root 77 (86) Matt Henry 3/48 (10 overs) | | Devon Conway 152* (121) Sam Curran 1/47 (6 overs) |
* New Zealand won by 9 wickets Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Attendance: 47,518 Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SL) and Nitin Menon (Ind) Player of the match: Rachin Ravindra (NZ)
* New Zealand won the toss and elected to field.
* All of England's eleven batsmen reached double figures, the first such instance in ODIs.
* Rachin Ravindra (NZ) scored his maiden century in ODIs.
* Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra's 273-run partnership surpassed Martin Guptill and Will Young's 203 for the highest partnership for second wicket for New Zealand.
* 14 October 2023 14:00 (D/N) Scorecard
| Pakistan 191 (42.5 overs) | v | India 192/3 (30.3 overs) |
| Babar Azam 50 (58) Jasprit Bumrah 2/19 (7 overs) | | Rohit Sharma 86 (63) Shaheen Afridi 2/36 (6 overs) |
* India won by 7 wickets Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Attendance: Undisclosed Umpires: Marais Erasmus (SA) and Richard Illingworth (Eng) Player of the match: Jasprit Bumrah (Ind)
* India won the toss and elected to field.
* 4 November 2023 14:00 (D/N) Scorecard
| Australia 286 (49.3 overs) | v | England 253 (48.1 overs) |
| Marnus Labuschagne 71 (83) Chris Woakes 4/54 (9.3 overs) | | Ben Stokes 64 (90) Adam Zampa 3/21 (10 overs) |
* Australia won by 33 runs Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Attendance: 55,052 Umpires: Marais Erasmus (SA) and Chris Gaffaney (NZ) Player of the match: Adam Zampa (Aus)
* England won the toss and elected to field.
* England were eliminated as a result of this match.
* 10 November 2023 14:00 (D/N) Scorecard
| Afghanistan 244 (50 overs) | v | South Africa 247/5 (47.3 overs) |
| Azmatullah Omarzai 97* (107) Gerald Coetzee 4/44 (10 overs) | | Rassie van der Dussen 76* (95) Mohammad Nabi 2/35 (10 overs) |
* South Africa won by 5 wickets Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Attendance: 10,927 Umpires: Chris Brown (NZ) and Nitin Menon (Ind) Player of the match: Rassie van der Dussen (SA)
* Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat.
* Heinrich Klaasen and Kagiso Rabada (SA) played their 50th and 100th ODI respectively.
* Afghanistan were eliminated as a result of this match.
* 19 November 2023 14:00 (D/N) Scorecard
| India 240 (50 overs) | v | Australia 241/4 (43 overs) |
| KL Rahul 66 (107) Mitchell Starc 3/55 (10 overs) | | Travis Head 137 (120) Jasprit Bumrah 2/43 (9 overs) |
* Australia won by 6 Wickets Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Attendance: 92,453 Umpires: Richard Illingworth (Eng) and Richard Kettleborough (Eng) Player of the match: Travis Head (Aus)
* Australia won the toss and elected to field.
* Australia won their record sixth World Cup title.

## Domestic Cricket

The stadium is the home ground of the Gujarat cricket team, the Gujarat women's cricket team, and the IPL franchise Gujarat Titans. Other than the main ground inside the stadium, it also has two grounds known as "Narendra Modi Stadium A Ground" and "Narendra Modi Stadium B Ground", which are located near the stadium on the eastern side. They host domestic cricket matches for tournaments such as the Ranji trophy. The stadium hosted the 2022 and 2023 IPL finals. In 2022, the home team Gujarat Titans prevailed; in 2023, the Chennai Super Kings won their fifth title. The 2022 final for the Vijay Hazare trophy's was held inside the arena. The Maharashtra cricket team scored 248/9 in first inning; Saurashtra chased down it in 46.3 over. Maharashtra's Ruturaj Gaikwad and Saurashtra's Sheldon Jackson scored hundreds.

## Notable achievements made in the stadium
### In Sardar Patel Stadium

* In 1986, Sunil Gavaskar completed 10,000 runs in Test cricket, while playing against Pakistan.
* In 1994, Kapil Dev took his 432nd wicket in Test cricket to pass Sir Richard Hadlee's record.
* In October 1999, Sachin Tendulkar scored his first Test Match double-hundred in a match against New Zealand.
* On 20 November 2009, Tendulkar passed thirty thousand runs at international level.
* In 2011, Tendulkar became the first-ever cricketer to score 18,000 runs in ODI format in a match against Australia during the Cricket World Cup.
* In 2008, AB de Villiers scored his maiden test double century.

### In Narendra Modi Stadium

* On 24 February 2021, the arena hosted its first day night test game, with India facing off against England.
* In 2022, the arena hosted the IPL Final between the Gujarat Titans and the Rajasthan Royals. The Titans won the IPL in their inaugural season. This event was attended by 104,859 people, the highest attendance in the history of the stadium and cricket in general.
* In the IPL 2023 Final between the Titans and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), MS Dhoni (playing in his 250th match) captained CSK to their fifth IPL victory, tying the Mumbai Indians for the record of most IPL trophies.

## Records
### Test match records

* Highest innings total: Sri Lanka 760/7d – India v Sri Lanka, 2nd inning, 16 November 2009.
* Lowest innings total: India 76 – India v South Africa, 1st inning, 3 April 2008.
* Highest individual score: Mahela Jayawardene 275 (435) (4s-27 6s-1) – Sri Lanka v India, 16 November 2009.
* Best bowling: (in an innings) Kapil Dev 9/83 – India v West Indies, 12 November 1983. (in a match) Axar Patel 11/70 – India v England, 13 February 2021.
* Most runs: Rahul Dravid (India) 771 Runs (Mat:7 Inn: 14 HS: 222 Ave: 59.30 SR: 49.10 100s-3 50s-1), Sachin Tendulkar – 642 runs, VVS Laxman – 574 runs.
* Most wickets: Anil Kumble (India) 36 Wickets (Mat:7 Runs:964 BBI:7/115 BBM: 10/233 Ave:26.77 Econ: 2.29 SR: 70.1 5W/I: 3 10W/M:1).

### One Day International match records

* Highest total: South Africa 365/2 – India v South Africa, 1st innings, 27 February 2010.
* Lowest total: Zimbabwe 85 – Zimbabwe v West Indies, 1st innings, 8 October 2006.
* Highest individual score: Devon Conway 152 (121) (19x4; 3x6) - New Zealand v England, 2023.
* Best bowling: Prasidh Krishna 4/14 (9.0 overs) – India v West Indies, 9 February 2022.
* Most runs: Rohit Sharma – 354 runs.
* Most wickets: Kapil Dev (India) 10 Wickets (Mat:6 Runs:156 Best:3/26 Ave:15.60 Econ:3.04).

## Gallery

* The Stadium During the Namaste Trump Event (new structure)
* Iron Bull at the Stadium entrance
* The stadium during the 4th test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy

## In media

* In 2021, the stadium was featured in an episode of History TV18's documentary show Modern Marvels. The episode depicted the entire construction of the stadium.