Motera stadium: Amazing facts, images of world’s largest cricket stadium set to host Namaste Trump

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Motera stadium new look images: How fitting is the fact the world’s biggest Cricket stadium, located in the world’s largest democracy is set to host the President of the World’s oldest democracy? The US President Donald Trump’s event will mark the comeback of the iconic Motera stadium in Ahmedabad, post its revamp, which again fits well for the importance it will hold for the India-US bilateral relations. The US President Donald Trump is set to start his India visit on February 24 in Motera Stadium with the ‘Namaste Trump' event. The programme is likely to be similar to the 'Howdy Modi' event which took place in Texas during PM Narendra’s Modi’s visit to the US last year. We take a look at some stunning images of the new Motera stadium:

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The revamped Motera stadium has the seating capacity of 1,10,000, more than double of its previous capacity of 54,000. The work to create the 'World's largest cricket stadium' was approved by Modi, who has previously served the Chief Minister of Gujarat and the President of Gujarat Cricket Association, the body that runs the Motera stadium. After its redevelopment, Motera will dethrone Melbourne Cricket Ground as the stadium with the biggest crowd holding capacity.

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Motera stadium is also commonly called as the Sardar Patel Stadium on the name of India’s first Home Minister who played a key role in ensuring India’s territorial unity and sovereignty.

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The Motera stadium was built in 1982 when the Gujarat state government had sanctioned 50 acres of land for the construction. The stadium debuted in the international cricket in 1983 when India hosted Clive Lloyd-led West Indies team for a series consisting of six tests and five ODIs. Motera Stadium had hosted the third test where Michael Holding played a key role in the West Indies win. India’s former flamboyant opener Navjot Singh Siddhu also made his test debut in that match against West Indies. The first ODI in the Motera Stadium was played on October 5, 1984 between India and Australia. The stadium was the venue for only one T20I in 2012, between India and Pakistan which also turned out to be Pakistan’s final international bilateral match on the Indian soil.

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Motera has been the venue for a total of 37 international matches. 12 Test matches, 24 ODIs and a lone T20 against Pakistan until now. The last ODI at the venue was played between India and Sri Lanka in November 2014.

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Motera stadium holds a special place for Indian cricket fans as it has given them many occasions to celebrate. India knocked the then three-times World champions Australia in the Quarter Finals of the 2011 World Cup here. Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar also passed the illustrious 18,000 ODI runs mark in the same quarter-final match against Australia. Sachin has had another glorious moment in the Motera stadium as he had scored his first test double century, back in 1999 against New Zealand. The stadium has been a venue to remember for the Indian stalwarts of the previous generations as well. Sunil Gavaskar had scored his 10,000th test runs against Pakistan in 1986-87 in Motera, which appeared an impossible feat to achieve at that time while Kapil Dev had surpassed Sir Richard Hadlee as the leading wicket-taker in the test matches in 1994.