India vs England 3rd Test: Motera Stadium is now Narendra Modi Stadium

Motera Cricket Stadium has now been renamed Narendra Modi Stadium. (Source: Twitter)

The new and improved Motera Stadium was rechristened to Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday (February 24). The stadium was named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and becomes the biggest cricket stadium in the world. 

Narendra Modi Stadium will host the third Test between India and England starting at 230 pm on Wednesday. In addition to that, the third will also be a Pink-ball or Day/Night Test – only the second ever to take place in India.  

 Located in Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, the Motera stadium was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday as the ground gets ready for the third Test match.    

How big is the Motera stadium?  

The Sardar Patel Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad is spread over 63 acres, with a seating capacity of 1.10 lakh people. Currently, Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is the largest cricket stadium in the world. It can accommodate 90,000 people simultaneously.   

“After the ‘Statue of Unity’ i.e. the world’s largest statue of Sardar Patel built in Gujarat, now the state is going to set the new record of housing the world’s largest stadium in cricket. Built at an estimated cost of Rs 800 crore, the beauty of this stadium is incredible,” the PIB statement read.  

Who has constructed the Motera Stadium?  

The stadium is constructed by the Larsen & Turbo (L&T) company, which also built the Statue of Unity in a very short span of 5 years. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Dream Project of the largest stadium in Motera has 76 corporate boxes, Olympic level swimming pool, indoor academy, four dressing rooms for athletes, food courts and GCA club house,” the statement added.  

How many pitches are there in Motera Stadium?  

A total of 11 clay pitches of six red and five black soil have been prepared in the stadium. It is the first stadium to use both coloured clay for main and practice pitches. In the event of rain, the pitch can be dried in only 30 minutes.   

“The state-of-the-art LED floodlights will not warm up the atmosphere and will provide comfort to the spectators as well as the cricketers. An innovative feature of this stadium is that the 360-degree podium concourse at a height of 9 meters simplifies the movement of spectators, as well as provides a uniform view to the spectators from any stand.  

“The corporate boxes that are designed have a seating capacity of 25 each. Huge dressing rooms have been created for both teams. Separate state-of-the-art gyms have also been set up. A special lounge has been built near the players and VIP entrance. The autographed bat collection of players from the teams of IPL and World Cup matches played so far in the Autograph Gallery at the stadium is the center of attraction. The ‘Hall of Fame’, featuring photographs of world-renowned cricketers, catches the eyeballs of the spectators,” the PIB statement added.  

When the old stadium was demolished in 2016, the Motera Stadium had a capacity of 54,000 spectators. The foundation stone of the new cricket stadium was laid by the Gujarat Cricket Association in January 2018 for the construction of a new and state-of-the-art and fully equipped stadium. Completed in a short span of two years, this stadium is becoming another feather in the cap of Gujarat. 

History of Narendra Modi Stadium 

1. Hosted first ODI in the 1984-85 India vs Australia bilateral series, which India lost. 

2. One of the venues for the 2006 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy, and hosted five of the 15 games. 

3. The first World Cup match at Motera Stadium was played between England and New Zealand during the 1996 World Cup. 

4. In the 2011 World Cup, India defeated Australia in the quarterfinals at Motera, and went on to become the champions. 

5. Till August 19, 2017 it hosted 12 Tests, 23 ODIs and one T20 International. 

The third Test between India and England will be Live Streamed on Disney+ Hotstar from 2.30pm onwards on Wednesday (February 24).