Formerly known as the 'Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium", the Narendra Modi Stadium is the largest cricket stadium in the world, situated in the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Complex in Ahmedabad.
The stadium has hosted several Tests, ODIs, T20Is, World Cup games and has been privy to some of the most memorable moments that Indian cricket has ever witnessed.
History
The construction of the old Sardar Patel Stadium took place in the year 1982 after the Government of Gujarat donated 100-acre land on the banks of the Sabarmati River.
In 1983, Kapil Dev claimed a nine-wicket haul against the mighty West Indies at the same venue, and nine years later, he also took his 432nd Test wicket at the same ground (vs Sri Lanka).
In 1987, "Little Master" Sunil Gavaskar became the first man on the planet to rack up 10000 Test runs, and his 10000 th run came at this very venue against arch-rivals Pakistan.
The stadium played hosts to only two games across the 1987 and 1996 World Cups, but come 2006, it shot into prominence with 5 Champions Trophy fixtures allotted to it. This led to the stadium's renovation for the very first time, marking the addition of covered stands and floodlights.
In October 2015, the stadium was demolished completely after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the officials to build a new larger stadium.
The Gujarat Cricket Association issued a request for tender in January 2016, and the winning bid was eventually made by Larsen & Toubro (L & T) for INR 677.19 Crores.
The construction work started in December 2016, and the finishing touches were eventually done by February 2020.
The redesigned stadium spans across 63 acres of land. It contains a total of 76 corporate boxes, a 55-room clubhouse, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, LED lights installed on the roof, four dressing rooms and a whole host of pitches of different soil.
Major Matches
The previous version of the Narendra Modi Stadium played host to the iconic Quarter-final fixture between India and Australia in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.
In that game, Australian captain Ricky Ponting dished out a batting masterclass on a red-soil turner, but it proved to be inadequate as Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina helped India get past the finishing line in a tight run-chase.
The new stadium hosted its opening game in February 2021- a day-night Test against the visiting English team, which proceeded to end inside two days as spinners from both sides created havoc.
In 2022, the iconic venue hosted the IPL final, which saw more than 100,000 people witness the home team Gujarat Titans defeat the Rajasthan Royals to claim their maiden title.
Narendra Modi Stadium, Stats
TESTS
Tests Played: 14
Matches won batting first: 4
Matches won bowling first: 4
Highest Total: 760/7 (202.4) by India vs SL
Lowest Total: 76/10 (20) by India vs South Africa
Most Runs: Rahul Dravid (771)
Most wickets: Anil Kumble (36)
Highest score: Mahela Jayawardene (275)
Best Bowling Figures: Axar Patel (11/70)
ODI
ODIs Played: 28
Matches won batting first: 16
Matches won bowling first: 12
Highest Total: 365/2 (50) by SA vs IND
Lowest Total: 85/10 (30.1) by ZIM vs WI
Most Runs: Rahul Dravid (342)
Most wickets: Kapil Dev (10)
Highest score: Sourav Ganguly (144)
Best Bowling Figures: Prasidh Krishna 4/12
T20Is
T20Is Played: 10
Matches won batting first: 6
Matches won bowling first: 4
Highest Total: 234/4 (20) by IND vs ENG
Lowest Total: 66/10 (12.1) by NZ vs AUS
Most Runs: Virat Kohli (258)
Most Wickets: Shardul Thakur (8)
Highest Score: Shubman Gill (126*)
Best Bowling Figures: Hardik Pandya 4/16
