#TitansFAM got to witness just a single match at Apna Amdavad in the Tata IPL last season and we lifted the trophy in front of a record attendance at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Shubman Gill hit the winning six for the Gujarat Titans in the final against Rajasthan Royals, which added to a plethora of golden moments this ground witnessed.
Later this year, the stadium will complete four decades as an international venue. There’s no better time than now to look back at the many golden moments that unfurled at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

#1 IND vs WI, 1983 | Kapil Dev’s “It’s him” performance
The “Kapil Devils” faced the West Indies in the first international match played at this venue on November 12, 1983. Alas, the star-studded Caribbean side won the Test, but Kapil Dev’s iconic spell lives in memory to this day. The Haryana Hurricane recorded figures of 9/83 in the second innings, the best by an Indian fast bowler in Tests.

 

#2 IND vs PAK, 1987 | “10,000” reasons to celebrate Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar became the first batter in Test history to complete 10,000 runs. He reached that iconic landmark at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 7, 1987. The crowd stormed into the ground to congratulate the “Little Master” in one of the most iconic moments in Indian cricket history.

#3 IND vs SL, 1994 | First Test win, Kapil’s historic moment
Kapil Dev’s affinity with the stadium had another chapter in 1994 against Sri Lanka, when he picked up his 432nd wicket to go past Richard Hadlee as the leading wicket-taker in Tests. As a result, India won a Test match at the Motera for the first time, beating the Islanders by an innings and 27 runs.

#4 ICC World Cup 1996 | First World Cup match
The 1996 ICC World Cup kick-started at the Narendra Modi Stadium, with New Zealand taking on England in the opening match. Nathan Astle’s century helped the Kiwis win this close-fought encounter by 11 runs.

#5 IND vs SA, 1996 | A “Very Very Special” Test
VVS Laxman, one of India’s greatest batters, made his debut on this ground in November 1996 against South Africa. He scored a half-century in the second innings and announced his arrival at the international stage. India went on to defeat South Africa for the first time in Tests by defending a target of 170, courtesy of Javagal Srinath’s terrific 6/21 in the second innings.

#6 IND vs NZ, 1999 | Tendulkar’s first double ton
Sachin Tendulkar scored seven double centuries in international cricket, six in Tests cricket and one in ODIs (the first in the format). The first of those seven was scored on this ground in 1999 against New Zealand. Although the match ended in a draw, Tendulkar’s masterclass left its mark on everybody who turned up to watch the Master Blaster.

#7 IND vs WI, 2002 | Dravid’s century, record run-chase
India and West Indies played out an ODI classic at the Narendra Modi Stadium in November 2002. Chris Gayle’s 148 off 127 balls steered the visiting side to 324/4 batting first. Rahul Dravid’s unbeaten century, powered by fifties from VVS Laxman and Sanjay Bangar, helped us complete our second highest run-chase in the format (as on that day).

#8 Champions Trophy 2006 | Hosted five matches
India hosted the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time in 2006 and five matches during this tournament were staged at the Narendra Modi Stadium. This includes two qualifying matches alongside three group stage matches.

#9 IND vs SA, 2008 | ABD and Steyn reign supreme
This Test match against South Africa started with a fiery 5/23 from Dale Steyn, which toppled India for just 76 runs in the first innings. AB de Villiers then stole the show with his first double century in Tests, helping South Africa win by an innings and 90 runs in one of the most dominant performances by a visiting side in India.

#10 IND vs SL, 2009 | Two decades of Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar made his Test debut on November 15, 1989. He marked his 20th year as an international cricketer in 2009 on this ground when India and Sri Lanka locked horns, beginning on November 16. Tendulkar scored his 43rd Test century and went on to complete 30,000 runs in international cricket (all formats), becoming the first and only player to do so.

#11 IND vs SL, 2009 | Jayawardene’s marathon knock
Mahela Jayawardene recorded the highest score by a visiting batter in India in the 2009 Test, finishing with 275 off 435 balls. The Lankan legend batted for over 10 hours and added a 351-run partnership with Prasanna Jayawardene as the match finished in a draw.

 

#12 IND vs NZ, 2010 | Kane Williamson’s debut
Kane Williamson went on to become one of the greatest batters in cricket history and it is worth noting that his international journey began in Ahmedabad. The Kiwi superstar, who will be a part of the Gujarat Titans in Tata IPL 2023, scored a memorable century to mark his arrival. Harbhajan Singh too scored his first Test century in this match, which finished in a draw.

 

#13 IND vs AUS, 2011 CWC | Yuvraj Singh’s innings of a lifetime
Yuvraj Singh loves a big knock against Australia and possibly the best of that lot came in Ahmedabad during the ICC World Cup 2011 quarter-final. After losing the half the side in the run chase, Yuvraj Singh remained unbeaten on 57 off 65 balls to steer India to the semi-finals. He was named Player of the Match for his fifty and two wickets.

#14 IND vs ENG, 2012 | Pujara’s double ton
Cheteshwar Pujara’s first of three double centuries came against England in 2012 during the opening match of the Test series. He remained unbeaten on 206 off 389 balls and added another 41 runs in the second innings as India won the Test by nine wickets.

#15 IND vs ENG, 2021 | A gigantic return
After nearly a decade, international cricket returned to Ahmedabad. The Narendra Modi Stadium got bigger (than any other cricket stadium) and better, hosting England in two Tests and five T20Is.

 

#16 GT vs RR, IPL 2022 | First title, winning six, record attendance
The Narendra Modi Stadium recorded an attendance of 101,566 during the Tata IPL 2022 final between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals, which is the “Guinness World Record'' for a T20 match. The Titans defeated Rajasthan powered by a terrific all-round performance from skipper Hardik Pandya. Shubman Gill finished the match with a six over fine leg, rounding off a memorable debut season for the Titans.

 

#17 IND vs NZ, 2023 | Shubman turns Superman
Shubman Gill returned to Ahmedabad in 2023 with a bang, registering the highest individual score in T20Is among Indian batters. Gill remained 126 off 63 balls, as India went on to register the biggest win in T20Is among Test-playing countries.
Having staged so many significant moments in Indian cricket over the years, the Narendra Modi stadium prepares itself for its first full season in Tata IPL. We play our first match in 2023 against the Chennai Super Kings on March 31, at the world’s biggest cricket stadium. So #TitansFAM, mark your calendars, our title defence will be in motion soon.