Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad has hosted more IPL finals than any other venue — three finals in three consecutive years (2022, 2023, 2024), a concentration of deciders at a single ground unprecedented in the competition's eighteen-season history. Each was played before a crowd exceeding 100,000 and each was decided in the second innings' middle overs (overs 9–15) — a pattern that reveals something consistent and important about how this specific venue shapes the highest-pressure matches in the IPL calendar.
The Three Finals: Summary
| Year | Match | Winner | Winning Score | Margin | POTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | GT vs RR | GT | 130/5 (won) | 7 wickets | Hardik Pandya |
| 2023 | GT vs CSK | CSK | 172/4 (won) | 5 wickets | Devon Conway |
| 2024 | SRH vs KKR | KKR | 113/2 (won) | 8 wickets | Mitchell Starc |
2022 IPL Final: GT vs RR
Rajasthan Royals batted first and were restricted to 130/9 in 20 overs on a two-paced pitch — some balls stopped on the surface while others skidded through — creating batting difficulty amplified by the occasion's pressure. RR's batting imploded in overs 13–17, losing 5 wickets for 28 runs to a combination of Mohammed Shami (3/20) and Rashid Khan's variations.
GT chased 131 in 18.1 overs, winning by 7 wickets. Hardik Pandya's 34* off 30 balls anchored a controlled finish. The two-paced nature of the pitch (a Kookaburra ball that softened earlier than usual in hot April conditions) was the match's decisive variable.
2023 IPL Final: GT vs CSK
CSK, batting second in a rematch of the previous year's participants, chased GT's 214/4 (Shubman Gill 39, Vijay Shankar 39, Hardik Pandya 47) with 5 wickets in hand and 4 balls remaining. The 2023 pitch was a harder, truer surface after criticism that the 2022 final pitch was overly two-paced. It produced the highest-scoring final in IPL history at the venue (214/4 in the first innings).
Devon Conway's 48-ball 47 in the chase — stabilising the innings at 117/5 in over 14 — was the match-defining contribution. NMS's true bounce enabled his unconventional inside-out drive through the off-side, a shot that requires consistent height to be played confidently.
| Phase | GT 1st Inn | CSK Chase | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powerplay | 53/0 | 62/1 | CSK +9 |
| Overs 7–12 | 73/2 | 48/3 | GT +25 |
| Overs 13–17 | 55/1 | 38/1 | GT +17 |
| Final 3-over surge (CSK) | — | 24/0 | CSK completed with 4 balls spare |
2024 IPL Final: SRH vs KKR
The most comfortable final at NMS. SRH posted 113/10 — bowled out in 20 overs on a surface that had dried significantly from a qualifier played 72 hours earlier. The dry pitch assisted Mitchell Starc's left-arm swing (4/24) and Harshit Rana's extra bounce (3/22) in suppressing SRH's lineup.
KKR chased 114 in 10.3 overs — an 8-wicket, comprehensive win. The match produced the lowest total ever defended in an IPL final (SRH's 113) and the fastest chase of a final total (10.3 overs).
Common Pattern Across Three Finals
All three NMS finals shared:
- The match-deciding phase was overs 9–15 of the second innings
- Spin (Rashid Khan in 2022, Jadeja in 2023, Varun in 2024) was effective in this window
- The first-innings par score of 173 was either exceeded by 41 runs (2023: 214) or missed by 43 runs (2024: 113) — no final was won by the team that scored approximately par
- Crowd noise had a documented effect on bowling extras for both sides
The NMS final pattern rewards extremes: either dominant batting (200+) or dominant bowling (110–130), with the par score region producing the most contested outcomes.
FAQ
Q: Which team has the best record in finals hosted at Narendra Modi Stadium?
A: CSK and KKR have each won one final at NMS; GT won the 2022 final as the home team. GT are the only team to have won a final at their home ground at NMS, making them the unique beneficiary of the home crowd effect in the highest-stakes match of the year.
Q: Will NMS host IPL 2026's final?
A: The IPL schedule for 2026 has not been confirmed as of March 2026. NMS has hosted three consecutive finals (2022–2024) and BCCI typically rotates the final venue to maximise commercial exposure. Based on the rotation pattern, the 2026 final may move — but NMS retains structural advantages (largest capacity = highest revenue) that make it a recurring finalist venue candidate.
Q: What is the highest score ever successfully defended at Narendra Modi Stadium in any IPL match?
A: The highest score successfully defended at NMS is 201, by CSK against DC in 2023. CSK's spin trio (Jadeja, Maheesh Theekshana, Narine during a guest appearance before transfer) restricted DC to 172 in the chase. That match represents the ceiling for defended totals at the venue across its entire IPL history.