At a Glance
- Narendra Modi Stadium to host IPL 2026 final
- With a capacity of 132,000, it is the largest cricket stadium in the world
- Ahmedabad has already hosted three IPL finals
The BCCI today announced that Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad will host the IPL 2026 Final. The upcoming final will, therefore, be the fourth IPL final held in Ahmedabad in the last five editions.
Narendra Modi Stadium History
Originally named the Motera Stadium, it was renamed the Narendra Modi Stadium in honour of the Indian Prime Minister ahead of the first international match played there in 2021.
The Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium stood in its place until 2014. The latter hosted domestic and international cricket until its demolition.
The new stadium can accommodate up to 132,000 spectators, making it the largest cricket stadium in the world currently.
Iconic International Matches Hosted by the Narendra Modi Stadium
Given its capacity, the Ahmedabad stadium now hosts several major cricket matches that happen in India. It all began with the third Test of England’s tour of India in 2021, a two-day pink-ball affair that India won by 10 wickets – a game that England fans would rather remember for Joe Root’s 5-8 in the first innings.
Ahmedabad also hosted both the opener and the final of the 2023 Men’s Cricket Stadium. While New Zealand beat England by nine wickets in the opener, Australia saved their best cricket in the tournament in the final.
In the build up to the game, Pat Cummins spoke about how ‘there was nothing more satisfying than hearing a big crowd go silent as an opposition player’. The Aussies would walk the talk in the final, winning the match by six wickets in a comfortable chase.
Happier memories waited for Indian fans the next time the Men in Blue played a final in Ahmedabad – a 96-run win against New Zealand as India became the first team to win consecutive Men’s T20 World Cups.
Famous IPL Fixtures at the Narendra Modi Stadium
The 132,000-seater has also been home to three IPL finals. First, it witnessed home team Gujarat Titans win the title in their first-ever season in 2022. In 2023, however, Gujarat would be at the receiving end – Ravindra Jadeja scoring 10 runs off the last two balls to see Chennai Super Kings home in what is likely to be MS Dhoni’s last IPL win as captain.
Then came 2025. This time, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Punjab Kings in the final to register their first-ever title win. The victory also earned their former captain Virat Kohli his first IPL winner’s medal.
The Narendra Modi Stadium was also witness to arguably the greatest ending to a T20 game. With the Kolkata Knight Riders needing 28 to beat hosts Gujarat Titans off five balls, Rinku Singh hit Yash Dayal for five consecutive sixes, seeing KKR home in a last-ball thriller.
What the Numbers Say
While you’d expect teams chasing to win many more games in T20 cricket, the Narendra Modi Stadium has been relatively balanced. Teams chasing have won 20 of 38 IPL games in Ahmedabad since 2020.
In fact, winning the toss does not nearly guarantee you victory either. Teams that have won the toss have only won 18 of the 38 matches at this venue.
In an era where 250+ scores are increasingly common in the IPL, the Narendra Modi Stadium has only seen eight scores higher than 220 in the 76 innings there.
This writer hopes that the balance between bat and ball like one would be used to in Ahmedabad will set us up for a cracker of a final this time around too.
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