With a seating capacity of 1,10,000 Ahmedabad’s Motera Stadium is all set to become the future mecca of cricket stadiums. Motera Stadium is all set to host seven International matches, starting from the 3rd Test between India and England that is scheduled to begin from February 24.

The entire cricket fraternity is in awe of the world’s largest stadium which has a seating capacity of 1,10,000. Recently, Kevin Pietersen posted a couple of pictures of the Motera stadium on Twitter where he acknowledged how spectacular the ground is.

The ever-so-flamboyant Hardik Pandya surprised everyone by posting a humble tweet involving the magnificent Motera ground. This is what Pandya said:

Indian spin expert Kuldeep Yadav also took to Twitter and complimented each and everyone who worked towards the creation of the ground.

Rishabh “Spiderman” Pant also complimented BCCI chief Jay Shah on Twitter and said that he is looking forward to taking to field for the third.

Meanwhile, England’s lethal pace-expert Stuard Board gave us a player’s eye view of the Motera ground in one of his tweets.

Everything you should know about Motera Cricket Ground

World’s only stadium with 11 pitches

The ground is the world’s largest cricket stadium with 11 centre pitches. According to the Gujarat Cricket Association joint secretary Patel, this is a unique feature of the stadium as it’s the only stadium in the world with 11 pitches on the main ground. “We are the only stadium in the world with same soil being used for practice as well as centre strips,” Patel added.

LED Lights for better visibility

Instead of mast lights that are usually used for cricket stadiums, the GCA made the decision to go with LED lights on the entire circular roof of the stadium. This is done for better visibility and eliminates hindrances that are caused due to shadow.

State-of-the-art drainage system

According to the GCA joint secretary, Motera’s state-of-the-art drainage system will enable the ground to dry quicker even in the case of a heavy downpour. Chances of matches being washed out will be reduced according to Patel. “Even in case of 8 cm of rainfall during a match, the water would drain out very fast. This will reduce the chances of matches being cancelled due to rain,” said Patel.

Stadium with a swimming-pool, restaurants, and 3D projector theatre

The stadium boasts an Olympic-sized swimming pool along with multiple restaurants, fully equipped gyms, a 3D projector theatre and 55 corporate boxes and spots for both indoor and outdoor games. The stadium also has 75 corporate boxes that will be reserved for the elite where they could fight the Ahmedabad heat.

Stadium with the biggest parking area in the world

Motera stadium is not only the largest cricket stadium in terms of its seating capacity, but it also has the biggest parking area within stadium premises. According to the stats, the stadium’s very own parking area can fit more than 3,000 cars and around 10,000 2-wheelers in one go. Additionally, Motera is also the second biggest sports ground in the world. The biggest sports ground in the world currently is the Rungrado May Day Stadium in North Korea. It has the largest stadium capacity in the world with a seating capacity of 1,14,000.

History of the Motera Stadium

The Motera Stadium’s origin can be traced back to 1982 when the Gujarat government donated 100 acres of land on Sabarmati river banks. The then Gujarat authorities had the construction work completed within a year.

The reconstruction work of Motera Stadium, which is also known as the Sardar Patel Stadium began in 2016. According to reports, the plan of constructing world’s largest cricket stadium was proposed by the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. It should be noted that he was also the President of the Gujarat Cricket Association back then.

Motera Stadium Stats and Records

Motera Stadium Test records

  • Highest ever inning total: 760-7 by Sri Lanka against India, November 16, 2009.
  • Lowest ever inning total: 76 all out by India against South Africa, April 3, 2008.
  • Best ever individual score: 275 runs in 435 balls by Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka.

Motera Stadium ODI records

  • Highest inning total in ODI: 365-2, South Africa against India, February 27, 2010.
  • Lowest ever inning total in ODI: 85 all out by Zimbabwe against West Indies, October 8, 2006.
  • Best ever individual score: 144 runs in 152 balls by Sourav Ganguly, India, December 2020.

Best landmarks that came to be in Motera Stadium

  • During the India VS Pakistan 1986-87 Test series, legendary batsman Sunil “Sunny” Gavaskar completed his 10,000 runs in Test matches in Motera stadium.
  • On February 8, 1994, former Indian skipper Kapil Dev surpassed Sir Richard Hadlee’s record of 431 Test wickets and became the second-ever bowler to take 400 wickets.
  • Sachin Tendulkar went on to score his first Test double-century against New Zealand in October 1999.
  • Master Blaster Sachin also became the first-ever cricket player to score more than 18,000 runs in One day cricket. The monumental moment came when India was playing against Australia in a 2011 Cricket World Cup league match.