There is only one stadium in the world larger than the Narendra Modi Stadium and that, in Pyongyang, is unlikely to host cricket any time soon. Even when empty, a massive ring filled with 132,000 seats in bright orange, yellow and blue, Ahmedabad’s sporting superbowl is a remarkable sight. Before the World Cup, every available surface has been decorated in the tournament’s predominantly pink and purple livery and the result is, in the best possible way, like the aftermath of a riot in a poster-paint factory.
But step outside the ground – literally just outside, to the concrete concourse that encircles it, and anywhere beyond that – and there is little sign that this tournament exists. Only international arrivals to the city’s airport see the small stand there marking it, and there is barely a banner or a signpost to advertise it to the city’s 7.5 million residents. Before arriving at the stadium, the only clear indication this correspondent saw that a major cricket tournament is about to begin in this city came when Kumar Dharmasena and Nitin Menon, who will umpire the opening game, sat down with a group of officials at an adjacent table for dinner.
