Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Home Franchise: Gujarat Titans (GT)
At a Glance: Key Facts
| Location | Sardar Patel Sports Enclave, Motera, Ahmedabad |
| Capacity | 132,000 — World’s largest cricket stadium |
| Rebuilt | 2015–2020 | Cost: ₹800 crore |
| Home Franchise | Gujarat Titans (IPL 2026) |
| Surface | Black Soil | Balanced early, spins in 2nd innings |
| Pitch Type | Batting-friendly early | Slows significantly late |
| Avg First-Innings Score (IPL) | 170–182 |
| Toss Preference | Bat first (pitch slows, favours 1st innings) |
| Dew Level | Low (Ahmedabad dry climate) |
| Major Events | IPL Finals 2022, 2023, 2025 | 2024 ICC T20 WC Final | 2026 T20 WC Final (India won 3rd title) |
The Ground: Cricket’s Greatest Cathedral
The numbers alone demand a moment of pause. 132,000. That is the capacity of Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad — a figure that makes it not just the largest cricket stadium in the world, but the largest sports stadium of any kind in the entire western hemisphere. When every seat is filled for a marquee occasion, the sight of 132,000 people in a single arena is genuinely overwhelming — a testament to cricket’s extraordinary hold on India’s imagination.
Rebuilt between 2015 and 2020 at a cost of ₹800 crore on the site of the former Sardar Patel Stadium, the modern Narendra Modi Stadium is an architectural achievement: 76 corporate boxes, a 55-room clubhouse, four dressing rooms, and parking for 3,000 cars surrounding a ground that has already hosted three IPL finals, a T20 World Cup final, and the largest crowd in cricket history — 104,859 for the 2022 IPL Final between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals. In 2026, it also hosted the T20 World Cup Final where India claimed their record third T20 World Cup title.
Pitch Report: The Gradual Slowdown
The Narendra Modi Stadium pitch confounds expectations set by its enormous physical scale. Despite the vast outfield and imposing dimensions, this is not a flat highway on which batters can score at will throughout both innings. The black soil surface is balanced in the first innings — offering genuine carry for pace bowlers, some seam movement with the new ball, and consistent bounce that allows batters to play orthodox cricket. First-innings batting is relatively free at Ahmedabad.
The critical characteristic emerges in the second innings: the Ahmedabad surface slows. The pitch loses pace progressively as moisture evaporates in the dry Ahmedabad climate, the ball grips and decelerates off the surface, and spinners — who have found minimal assistance in the first innings — suddenly become significantly harder to attack. R. Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan bowling on an Ahmedabad second-innings surface is a very different challenge from facing them in the 10th over of the first innings.
This gradual slowing is the tactical cornerstone of Gujarat Titans’ home strategy. They bat first, exploit the consistent early-innings conditions to post a solid total, then deploy Rashid Khan and the spin options as the pitch deteriorates. It is a formula that has produced an all-time win percentage of 62.2% across four IPL seasons — the best in franchise history.
The Large Ground and Its Tactical Consequences
Beyond the pitch, the stadium’s extraordinary size creates unique playing conditions. The massive outfield — larger than at any other IPL venue — means aerial hitting requires genuinely powerful striking to reach the boundary. A ball hit along the ground in the outfield continues rolling for longer than at compact venues, meaning running between wickets produces more twos and occasional threes. The huge bowl also generates swirling cross-winds in conditions that compound the tactical unpredictability.
Average first-innings scores of 170–182 at Narendra Modi Stadium are lower than at Chinnaswamy (185+) or Hyderabad (205) specifically because of these dimensions — the ground is simply too large to produce the same boundary frequency as compact IPL venues, even on a batting-friendly surface.
IPL Finals and Major Match History
| Event | Year | Result | Crowd |
| IPL Final | 2022 | GT beat RR by 7 wickets (GT debut title) | 104,859 — IPL record |
| IPL Final | 2023 | CSK beat GT by 5 wickets (last-ball thriller) | ~100,000+ |
| IPL Final | 2025 | RCB beat PBKS by 6 runs (RCB maiden title) | ~120,000 |
| ICC T20 WC Final | 2024 | India beat South Africa | ~130,000 |
| ICC T20 WC Final | 2026 | India’s 3rd T20 WC title | ~130,000 |
No cricket ground in the world has hosted a concentration of major matches equal to Narendra Modi Stadium’s last five years. Three IPL finals, two T20 World Cup finals — this ground is now synonymous with the biggest occasions in cricket.
All-Time GT Records at Narendra Modi Stadium
- All-time GT win percentage: 62.2% — highest of any franchise in IPL history
- Debut title (2022): First franchise in IPL history to win the title in their debut season since RR in 2008 — achieved at Narendra Modi Stadium
- Sai Sudharsan: 2025 Orange Cap winner (759 runs, avg 54.9, SR 156) — built substantially at home
- Prasidh Krishna: 2025 Purple Cap winner (25 wickets) — Ahmedabad’s slowing surface aided his medium-pace cutters in 2nd innings
- Rashid Khan: Every second-innings spell at this venue benefits from the pitch’s spin-assisting deterioration
IPL 2026 Preview: GT’s Title Push at the World’s Biggest Stage
Gujarat Titans arrive at IPL 2026 as genuine title favourites. Their all-time win percentage of 62.2%, the return of both the 2025 Orange Cap and Purple Cap winners in Sai Sudharsan and Prasidh Krishna, the consistent brilliance of Rashid Khan, and the addition of Matthew Hayden’s legendary batting coaching all point to a franchise at or near the peak of its powers.
Shubman Gill’s captaincy continues to mature. The 4th-place finish in 2025 — after the 8th-place disappointment of 2024 — reflects a franchise finding its rhythm after Hardik Pandya’s departure. Jos Buttler’s big-match experience and Kagiso Rabada’s express pace add world-class overseas depth. And at Narendra Modi Stadium, GT’s tactical model — bat first on a good surface, defend with Rashid’s leg-spin as the pitch deteriorates — is perfectly replicated.
The one challenge: smaller crowds for league-stage matches at a stadium built for 132,000 can feel sparse. The atmosphere for a match attended by 40,000 people in a ground built for 132,000 is very different from a venue like Eden Gardens where 68,000 creates a noise that shakes the walls. GT must generate their own energy in those matches — and they have learned to do so.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the capacity of Narendra Modi Stadium?
Narendra Modi Stadium has a capacity of 132,000, making it the largest cricket stadium and the largest sports stadium in the world.
Q: How many IPL Finals has Narendra Modi Stadium hosted?
Three: the 2022 Final (GT beat RR), the 2023 Final (CSK beat GT), and the 2025 Final (RCB beat PBKS). All three were decisive, high-attendance occasions.
Q: What is the average IPL score at Narendra Modi Stadium?
The average first-innings IPL score is 170–182. The pitch slows in the second innings, favouring teams that bat first — unlike most Indian venues where dew creates a chasing advantage.