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Motera cricket stadium

President Kovind to inaugurate the stadium on 24 February. (Photo: GCA portal)

India vs Eng: World’s largest Motera cricket stadium all set

Motera is geared up to leave the Melbourne cricket stadium behind, becoming the largest cricket stadium in the world. And, located in Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati, the stadium is all set to host its first international test cricket match between India and England on 24 February. Before the match, President Ram Nath Kovind will be inaugurating the Motera stadium in the special presence of Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah. The historic moment in Gujarat is set to bring a festive atmosphere to the entire country.

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

After ‘Statue of Unity’, the world’s largest statue of Sardar Patel built in Gujarat, 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 spellbinding, it’s constructed by the Larsen & Toubro (L&T) company, which also built the Statue of Unity in a very short span of 5 years.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Dream Project, the largest stadium in Motera, houses 76 corporate boxes, Olympic level swimming pool, indoor academy, four dressing rooms for sportspersons, food courts and GCA clubhouse.

360 degree view, state-of-the-art facilities

A total of 11 clay pitches of six red and five black soils have been prepared in the stadium. It is the first stadium to use both coloured clays 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 uncomfortably 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 and provides a uniform view to the audience from any stand.

The corporate boxes are designed to have a seating capacity of 25 each. The 150-ton air-cooling tower will maintain the closed-air portion of the stadium fully air-conditioned. 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.

Inside look of Motera Cricket Stadium

The autographed bat collection of players from the teams of IPL and World Cup matches kept in the Autograph Gallery is the center of attraction of the stadium. The “Hall of Fame”, featuring photographs of world-renowned cricketers, catches the eye.

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, fully equipped state-of-the-art stadium. Completed in a short span of two years, this stadium promises to add another feather to the cap of Gujarat.

Team India net practice at Motera (Twitter/BCCI)

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