Cricket is one of the most popular sports played all around the globe. And if you reside in India, chances are some group of kids are always playing this exciting sport in the street or at a nearby ground every day. Such is the craze of this sport within the country that its popularity and viewership leaves behind even the country’s unofficial national sport- hockey. And it is only fair for the country with so much passion for cricket to also have the world’s largest cricket stadium. As of 2023, Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat has earned this eminent title. So, read on to learn more about the largest cricket stadium in the world.
The opening match of IPL 2023 between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 31, 2023. The next match at the Narendra Modi Stadium will be held on April 9, 2023 between Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders.
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See also: Biggest cricket stadiums in India: Must-know for all cricket fans
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World’s largest cricket stadium: History of Narendra Modi stadium
Formerly known as the Sardar Patel Stadium (named after India’s first deputy Prime Minister/Home Minister), the stadium is not a newly constructed project. It was built back in 1983, and at that time, it could hold up to 49,000 spectators. It was used to host important events conducted by the Government of Gujarat and hosted friendly cricket matches from the year 1987, pleasing the viewers ever since.
Before the stadium was built, the people of Ahmedabad used to play cricket in the small Municipal Corporation’s stadium located at Navrangpura. In the year 1982, the Gujarat government realised the need to build a larger and better-equipped cricket stadium for all cricket lovers to promote sports and increase the exposure of the city by hosting national and international cricket matches. Thus, the government allowed the land near the famous Sabarmati river to be used to build this 100-acre stadium. The stadium was inaugurated on November 12, 1983.
The first ODI match played at the stadium was between India and Australia in the year 1984-1985. As the popularity of the stadium rose, so did the requirement for increased accommodation capacity. To host the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match in 2006, the government-sanctioned extra renovation to be conducted at the stadium. The holding capacity of the viewers increased from 49,000 to 54,000. The covered public stands and extra floodlights for matches at night were also installed. Three extra pitches and an outfield were also added to accommodate the capacity of the matches.
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World’s largest cricket stadium: Renovations and renaming of Narendra Modi stadium
Ever since it was inaugurated, the stadium held many memorable matches and as the number of fans kept increasing, so did the demand for more seats and other facilities. In 2015, the government ordered extra renovations. The main mastermind behind this idea was India’s current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who also hails from Gujrat. He wanted his home state to have a grand stadium that would be efficient enough to host cricket matches with the maximum seating capacity possible.
The bidding war started between major national and international construction companies to acquire the contract. The companies fighting were Nagarjuna Construction Company, Shapoorji Pallonji Company & Ltd., and Larsen & Toubro. All the companies were asked to submit a detailed presentation about their vision in regard to the stadium’s new design and concept. Since the talk was about building the world’s largest cricket stadium, they were judged on their resourcefulness, efficiency, cost efficiency, duration of the project and smart ideas.
L & T won the bidding war with the least budget- INR 677.19 crores and was declared as the principal company that will handle the construction of the stadium. The official work started in 2016, and it cost around INR 700 crores. The F&B company from Mumbai called Span Asia was hired to look after the entire beverage and food requirements of the stadium. They helped build the VVIP/VIP sections, the press and corporate boxes and pantries. The work finished in February 2020. In 2021, the officials collectively decided to rename the stadium as Narendra Modi Stadium.
World’s largest cricket stadium: Facilities and seating capacity of Narendra Modi stadium
From a mere capacity of 49,000 spectators when it first opened, the stadium has vastly expanded its seating capacity. It can now easily hold around 1,32,000 people at one time. With changing times and technologies, the stadium was also renovated to add new-age facilities to make the games played more memorable for the sportsmen and viewers. The stadium now has three major entryways compared to the one it held before. The stadium covers 63 acres of land. It has metro and bus stops nearby for easy transportation.
Inside, the stadium now has 76 VIP/corporate boxes, each box can hold up to 25 people. Multiple clubhouses with huge swimming pools are also built inside. There are four extra dressing rooms for the players. One of the cool features of the new stadium is the LED lights that have been installed. They are brighter and fancier than the basic floodlights in other stadiums. The lights are made on top of a fireproof canopy base. The company Walter Moore worked on the roof and pillars of the stadium. They used strong materials to make them earthquake resistant.
Apart from the main cricket ground, the stadium has additional sports amenities like a swimming pool, tennis and badminton courts, an in-house cricket academy, a table tennis room, a squash court, a room with a 3D projector facility and a clubhouse with additional practice rooms.
When it comes to holding so many people, there arises a need for a good parking space to not cause congestion or bad traffic. The stadium has a vast parking lot that can hold up to 10,000 scooters and bikes and up to 3,000 four-wheelers. The gate has a huge entry ramp to allow easy movement of the patrons. A skywalk connects the stadium to the metro station directly. The sheer size of the stadium is equal to 32 big Olympic football grounds. The stadium is the only one to have an 11-centre cricket pitch on the primary ground.
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World’s largest cricket stadium: Most memorable moments of the Narendra Modi Stadium
- On February 24, 2020, prime minister Narendra Modi hosted America’s former president Donald Trump in the ‘Namaste Trump’ event.
- The stadium hosted the first ever day and night cricket match on February 24, 2021, which happened between India and England.
- The finale of the famous cricket series IPL was played between Gujarat and Rajasthan at this stadium.
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FAQs
What are the nearest bus and metro stations near the stadium?
The nearest bus stop from the stadium is Gandhi Vas stop which is 1 minute away. The North-South metro corridor is the nearest metro station.
What is the exact location of the Narendra Modi Stadium?
The stadium is located at - Stadium Road, Parvati Nagar, Motera, Ahmedabad, Gujarat- 380005.
(Header image – Official website of Gujarat Cricket Association)
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