There is ongoing debate about the size of Modi’s eponymous stadium,billed as the world’s largest. At one end of the stadium,a plaque by the local cricket association puts the capacity at 110,000 people. Another plaque at the other end lists the capacity at 130,000.
Either way,it is sporting architecture on a mighty scale and a place Modi has already used to project his idea of India to the world. In early 2020,shortly before the global outbreak of COVID-19,Modi hosted United States then-president Donald Trump for a rally at the stadium.
“You have done a great honour to our country. We will remember you forever,from this day onwards India will always hold a special place in our hearts,” Trump said to the crowd.
The pictures of Modi and Trump presenting together to an enormous crowd were striking,underlining the value of the stadium as a structure for selling a political image as much as for hosting fixtures for India’s most popular sport.
“There is so much that we share,shared values and ideals ... shared opportunities and challenges,shared hopes and aspirations,” Modi had said at the rally.
But how many and who gets into the vast stadium along with the VIPs on day one - and whether they will include touring Australian fans - has been a matter of some consternation.