Overview
Narendra Modi Stadium, located in Ahmedabad and commonly referred to as Motera, is India's largest cricket venue by capacity and one of the most widely used grounds on the international circuit. Across 95 matches on record between 2004 and 2026, it has staged IPL, ODI, T20 International, Test and domestic T20 cricket. The ground is perhaps best known for two things: its sheer scale as a venue and the way its pitch, particularly in Test cricket, has rewarded spin bowling to a degree that few grounds in the world can match.
The first-innings average of 206 across all formats provides a reasonable baseline, though that figure masks significant variation between the white-ball and red-ball games. In Test cricket especially, the surface has produced conditions that exposed touring batting line-ups and made spin the primary weapon for whichever side could deploy it better.
Pitch and conditions
The powerplay data suggests this is not a ground where top-order aggression is automatically rewarded. An average of 43 runs and 1.28 wickets in the opening six overs indicates a surface that holds enough early on to keep batters honest. Openers who take time to assess conditions, rather than looking to attack from the first ball, may find the platform they build pays off later.
The middle overs are where Narendra Modi Stadium's match-shaping character comes through most clearly. An average of 118 runs scored between overs 7 and 15 dwarfs the death-overs contribution of just 38 runs, which points to a pitch that tends to slow and offer grip as the innings progresses. Bowlers who can vary pace and use the surface's developing turn become increasingly hard to score against in the back half of an innings.
Toss-winners have opted to field first in 60% of matches here, a preference that the overall chase success rate of 53% lends some support to. Batting second at Motera has historically carried a slight advantage, though the gap between first-innings average (206) and second-innings average (196) is narrow enough that it should not be overstated.
Historical records
The batting records at Narendra Modi Stadium belong almost entirely to Test cricket, and reflect a ground that has occasionally produced marathon innings on flat early surfaces. DPMD Jayawardene made 275 off 435 balls for Sri Lanka against India in November 2009, the highest individual score in the ground's recorded history. CA Pujara followed with 247 not out off 440 balls against England in November 2012, while AB de Villiers (217* off 333 balls in 2008) and AN Cook (217 off 483 balls in 2012) both scored 217 in separate Test matches here. R Dravid's 215 off 327 balls in the same 2009 Test as Jayawardene means all five of the ground's highest scores came from that one format.
The bowling records paint an equally striking picture. AR Patel took 11 wickets for 70 runs across 36.7 overs in the February 2021 Test against England, the best match figures at the ground by some distance. He followed that with 9 for 116 in the next Test the following month. PP Ojha's 9 for 165 (from the 2012 England Test) and R Ashwin's 8 for 94 (also from March 2021) sit third and fourth on the all-time list, underlining a pattern of left-arm spin and off-spin both thriving here. DW Steyn's 8 for 114 in the 2008 Test provides the only entry in the top five for pace bowling.
Who plays here
India Cricket have the most substantial record at Narendra Modi Stadium, with 32 matches and 19 wins (66%). Gujarat Titans call the ground home in the IPL and have played 24 matches here, winning 13. Rajasthan Royals (11 wins from 18 matches, 65% win rate) and Delhi Capitals (5 wins from 8, 63%) have also fared well at the ground, whilst Mumbai Indians hold a poor record with just 1 win from 7 matches. South Africa Cricket's record of 7 wins from 8 matches (88%) is the highest win rate of any team with significant appearances at the ground, though England Cricket's 25% win rate from 12 matches reflects just how difficult the conditions here have proved for touring European sides.
