First game for Sardar Patel Stadium; how does the world’s biggest cricket stadium compare to the MCG?
Now the world’s biggest cricket venue, Sardar Patel Stadium hosts India v England in its first game tonight, but how does it compare to the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground?
First constructed in 1982 and able to cater for 49,000 fans, the Motera cricket stadium was renovated in 2006 to increase its capacity to 54,000. Demolished in 2015, it was replaced by the new Sardar Patel Stadium, completed in 2020, boasting a seating capacity of 110,000 – the largest cricket stadium in the world (and second-biggest stadium overall).
Built at an estimated cost of Rs 800 crore (USD $110 million), the venue has officially been renamed the Narendra Modi Stadium, and the complex is spread over 25 hectares and includes warm-up and community facilities.
The new stadium was inaugurated in February 2020 by former US President Donald Trump. Standing alongside India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump infamously mispronounced the names of Indian legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.
International Test Cricket returns to the stadium for the first time since its completion, starting Wednesday 8pm (AEDT) with capacity reportedly reduced to 50 per cent due to concerns over COVID-19, but fans have snapped up tickets for what will be the first men’s international in the city since 2014. You can stream the day/night Test Match live on Kayo Sports.
The new Sardar Patel Stadium ranks number 1 in our list of the top 10 biggest cricket stadiums in the world, with the MCG (pictured below) relegated to second position. The list is dominated by Indian stadiums (6), although Australian venues Optus Stadium and Adelaide Oval do feature.
Sardar Patel Stadium sure does look impressive and while it now boasts a larger capacity than the MCG, how does it compare to the iconic Melbourne ground? We look at features across the two venues and you can have your say by voting below in our poll and leaving a comment.
| Sardar Patel Stadium | Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
|---|---|---|
| Built / Redeveloped | 1983 / Redeveloped 2020 | 1853 / Redeveloped 2006 |
| Capacity / Seats | 110,000 / 110,000 seats | 100,024 / 95,000 seats |
| Executive suites | 76 | 109 |
| Lighting | 580 LED globes | 950 LED globes |
| Video screens | 0* | 2 |
| Dressing rooms | 4 | 4 |
| Field size | 165 x 137 metres | 171 x 146 metres |
| Record crowd | 100,000 (Inauguration event, 2020) | 143,750 (Billy Graham evangelistic crusade, 1959) |
| Record cricket crowd | 51,000 (India v Aus, Cricket World Cup, 2011) | 93,013 (Aus v NZ, Cricket World Cup Final, 2015) |
Both Sardar Patel Stadium and the MCG share similar facilities for players, with indoor and outdoor practice pitches/nets and four player dressing rooms within the ground. Sardar Patel boasts 15,000 more seats (10,000 larger capacity) than the MCG however it lacks a video screen, while the MCG boats two huge HD screens measuring more than 25 x 13 metres each. Photos show temporary video screens being constructed in the top level of the Sardar Patel Stadium grandstand ahead of the first Test Match, blocking the seating behind them, thus effectively reducing the seating capacity of the stadium.
Both grounds feature high-tech LED floodlighting (580 globes), with the MCG upgrading its lighting last year (950 globes). All lighting at Sardar Patel is situated on stadium roof, while the MCG has a mixture of lighting under the roof and also high up on its six light towers. The Melbourne Cricket Ground also boasts world-class facilities which have continually been upgraded, including 109 executive suites, function rooms and countless bars and restaurants.
