India’s President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the newly revamped Motera cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, now renamed the Narendra Modi Stadium, on Wednesday.
Built at a cost of 8 billion rupees, the stadium has been renamed after the Prime Minister who was formerly president of the Gujarat Cricket Association.
Home Minister Amit Shah and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, along with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, were also present at the event. The Narendra Modi Stadium — the largest cricket ground in the world — will host its first international match on Wednesday, when India will take on England in the Day-Night Test.
“1,32,000 people can sit and watch cricket here at the Narendra Modi Stadium which has been inaugurated by the President. This will be the world’s biggest sports stadium,” Home Minister Amit Shah said at the event.
“Not just for cricket but it’s a proud moment for India. Besides being the largest cricket stadium, it’s also one of the most modern stadiums in the world,” Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said earlier.
The Narendra Modi Stadium will host the third and fourth Tests between India and England as well as the entirety of the five-match T20I series between the two sides.