The idea of a new cricket stadium that can hold 1,00,000 people in or near Mumbai has gained momentum. The office of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked the state sports department to identify suitable locations for the new venue — one that will be designed along the lines of the Wankhede Stadium. On May 16, Fadnavis expressed his willingness to allot land to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to build a new stadium in Mumbai with a seating capacity of 1,00,000. Within a week, the administration started moving on ground.
Five days after the announcement (on May 21), Vikas Kharge, additional chief secretary to the chief minister, wrote to the additional chief secretary of urban development to immediately initiate the process to ensure implementation of the announcement at the earliest possible. On June 5, a letter was sent to the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services, directing the department to proceed with the action required to complete the formalities. “The sports and youth services department has been asked to submit the report on this to the CM’s office,” a senior Mantralaya official said.
CM Devendra Fadnavis at an event on May 16, where he spoke of new stadium. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Last month, during a function organised by MCA at the Wankhede Stadium to name stands in honour of India cricket captain Rohit Sharma, former captain Ajit Wadekar and veteran politician Sharad Pawar, who is said to have contributed a lot to cricket, Fadnavis called for having another stadium in or near Mumbai. During his speech at the Wankhede Stadium, Fadnavis took a moment to reflect on his close relationship with the late Amol Kale (former MCA president), who had been a strong advocate for the idea. The CM mentioned that once Kale (then MCA president) and Ajinkya Naik had approached him with the idea and request of developing a second major stadium in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to meet the growing demand for cricket infrastructure and fan engagement.
Admitting to the importance of expanding the city’s capacity to host international cricket events, Fadnavis emphasised that the new stadium should be completed within the next four years, in time for the MCA’s 100-year anniversary (2030). “Both milestones, the opening of a new stadium and the celebrations of the centenary year, should go hand in hand,” Fadnavis told current MCA president Naik.
Asked about the possible venues, the Mantralaya official said, “As international matches will be hosted and spectators would come to see the matches, the possible site for the stadium should have good infrastructure connectivity (commute as well as other facilities). Accordingly, the process to identify sites within the city or closer to Mumbai is underway.”
