Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is set to build a new cricket stadium in Thane, with a seating capacity of 1 lakh fans. This new development, reported by the Times of India on Sunday (July 7), positions the stadium 68 km from the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
The proposed stadium site is 50 acres in Amane village. MCA has submitted an open tender floated by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to acquire this land. The project now awaits approval from the Maharashtra government.
This new stadium is a dream project of former MCA President Amol Kale, who passed away last month. The news comes shortly after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis highlighted the need for a larger stadium in Mumbai. During a felicitation ceremony for Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the Maharashtra state assembly, Fadnavis emphasized the need for a bigger venue to complement Wankhede Stadium.
“We have one of the historic stadiums in Mumbai in the form of Wankhede Stadium. Ashish Ji (BCCI treasurer and BJP MLA Ashish Shelar) is here. Mumbai needs a bigger stadium than Wankhede. Therefore, in the near future, our chief minister will extend all possible help to MCA and BCCI. Wankhede is a historic stadium and cannot be compared to any other. But it is time to give Mumbai a stadium with a capacity of more than one lakh,” said Fadnavis.
Currently, Mumbai hosts three international cricket stadiums: Wankhede Stadium (33,000 capacity), Brabourne Stadium (20,000 capacity), and DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai (45,000 capacity).
Wankhede Stadium, renowned for its history, hosted the 2011 ODI World Cup final and the first semi-final of the 2023 ODI World Cup. It has also been the venue for the second semi-finals of the 1987 ODI World Cup and the 2016 T20 World Cup.
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