Days after the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, expressed his desire to have a bigger and better stadium than the iconic Wankhede Stadium, we are hearing that a plan is already in motion. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is planning to build a 1 lakh-capacity stadium in Thane village.
Wankhede, which was the location where the Indian cricket team recently celebrated their T20 World Cup victory, has a capacity of 33,000 and holds a special place in the hearts of fans. Be it seeing MS Dhoni hit that six to win India the ODI World Cup after 28 years, or more recently, Virat Kohli breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most ODI centuries by a player, the ground has given happy memories to Indian fans for decades.
Wankhede Stadium not good enough anymore?
With the trend of making cricket bigger, the MCA is following in the Gujarat Cricket Association’s (GCA) footsteps, which inaugurated the biggest cricket stadium in the world (132000) in 2021. Much like the Narendra Modi Stadium, the new stadium in Thane village will be among the most modern stadiums in India, with all the modern amenities. It will also have two other grounds where first-class matches can be played as well.
“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 26km off Thane and 68km 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 government,” a source told The Times of India.
The move has come into motion due to former MCA President Amol Kale’s death, who unfortunately passed away on June 10 in New York. The administrator was following the India cricket team in the T20 World Cup when tragedy struck, and being Kale’s close friend, deputy CM Fadnavis will try to make sure his friend’s dream project comes to fruition as a tribute.
“This stadium was a dream project of MCA president Amol Kale. It will have all the modern amenities, including two grounds on which first-class matches can be played,” the source added.
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