Cricket World Cup Highlights Narendra Modi Stadium

The opening ceremony and the first game, between England and New Zealand, will take place in the 130,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the largest city in the state, which underwent a sudden name change two years ago. There will be a match between the hosts and longtime rivals Pakistan on October 14. The final and closing ceremonies will also take place at same stadium on November 19.

The excitement is bringing in a record-breaking amount of tourists to Ahmedabad, which hasn't typically been a popular destination. Travellers are seeking for alternatives to rising hotel rates, such as reserving hospital beds. According to Ashish Koshti, who runs the Instagram account Amazing Amdavad and uses the Gujarati pronunciation of the city, many members of the Indian diaspora, or non-resident Indians, are also travelling to the city to stay with relatives during the event.

The World Cup also enables PM Modi's efforts to shift global perceptions of the city. After the deadly anti-Muslim riots in 2002, which took place when PM Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, he has tried to make the state a more business-friendly destination by cutting red tape and bureaucracy. The success of that effort helped catapult PM Modi to the national stage in 2014.  Earlier this year, PM Modi invited Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to do a lap of honor in the Ahmedabad stadium ahead of a match between the two sides and hosted a public function with former US President Donald Trump there in 2021. A successful World Cup could even bolster PM Modi's chances of retaining his post ahead of general elections slated for next year.