Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju has said that the newly-constructed Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad, set to host the third Test between India and England from Wednesday, is not just the largest stadium in the world but also one of the best. 

India and England will face each other in a day-night Test for the first time in Ahmedabad with the series, currently level at 1-1, hanging in the balance and a spot in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand up for grabs as well. 

On the eve of the crucial encounter, Rijiju visited the stadium with BCCI secretary Jay Shah, news agency ANI reported. 

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“I went to see the Motera Stadium, I tried to understand everything virtually, be it the size, design, or structure. I can say that the Motera Stadium, which is the largest in the world, is not just the biggest, but is one of the best stadiums in the world. The facilities for the spectators and players are top-notch. I am very proud that our country has such a stadium,” Rijiju said during an interaction with the media. 

The stadium is set to be inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind prior to the start of the third Test. 

“No stadium or facility can be successful without a revenue plan. I have listened briefly to the revenue plan for the Motera Stadium. BCCI secretary Jay Shah briefed me about this, I realised that he has a viable model ready with him for commercial success, without a revenue model, no stadium can be successful,” Rijiju added. 

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The Motera Stadium is the world’s largest with a spectator capacity of 110,000. While most stadiums are circular-shaped, the Motera Stadium is oval. This design choice has been made to ensure that the boundary sizes are not affected irrespective of which pitch the match is played on. 

A Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) official told ANI how its oval shape made the Motera Stadium unique. 

“This is an oval-shaped ground. Traditionally on other grounds, when you play a match on pitch 1, one boundary fence is longer and the other shorter, but this is not the case here. It has all been done keeping the pitches in mind.”

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“Sydney or Melbourne has round-shaped grounds. When the pitch is shifted at these grounds, then boundary rope on one side is affected, but this is not the case here,” he said. 

He also said that the crowds will be able to enjoy an amazing view of the match, irrespective of their the stand or tier their seat is in. He also said that crowd evacuation will not be a problem at this stadium as a big ramp will ensure the entire stadium, at full capacity, can evacuate within 30 minutes.