Reports: MCA plans new cricket stadium with 1 lakh+ capacity
Members of the T20 World Cup 2024 winning Indian team recently met up at the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha in Mumbai, a day after their grand victory parade, which started from Nariman Point, culminating in a thrilling event at the Wankhede Stadium in the city of dreams. Captain Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Yashasvi Jaiswal made an appearance at the Assembly, where they were greeted by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, and others.
All the Maharashtra-based cricketers were also felicitated by the state government, which is when Fadnavis requested his senior Shinde to chew over the idea of constructing a world-class cricket stadium in the state, with a seating capacity of over one lakh, making it one of the largest stadiums in the country.
Now, the latest report from The Times of India has suggested that the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has already applied for an open tender offered by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) for a 50-acre land in Amane village in Thane district. A formal plan will be laid out after receiving approval from the state government.
“The MCA is looking to build a massive 1 lakh capacity cricket stadium, spread on around 50 acres of open land in Amane, which is 26 km off Thane, and 68 km from the Wankhede Stadium. The MCA has filled the open tender floated by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to acquire the land parcel. The association is waiting for approval from the Maharashtra Govt,” the report read.
Source reveals new stadium was Amol Kale’s dream project
Late MCA President Amol Kale was a very close friend of Fadnavis, and it is reported that building this new cricketing arena was his dream project. Notably, Kale passed away due to cardiac arrest in June in New York, shortly after attending the India vs Pakistan clash.
“This stadium was a dream project of MCA president Amol Kale (who passed away on June 10 in New York). It will have all the modern amenities, including two grounds on which first-class matches can be played,” the source in the report said further.
Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium and Navi Mumbai’s Dr. D.Y. Patil Sports Academy are the two venues under MCA to have hosted international fixtures. The BKC Ground and Deccan Gymkhana Ground have also hosted international matches, but they aren’t full-fledged in terms of facilities today. Neighbouring Wankhede is the historic Brabourne Stadium, but it is owned and operated by the Cricket Club of India (CCI). It does not come under the grounds affiliated to the city’s association.
