Will allot land for 1,00,000 capacity stadium to MCA: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that his government will allot a piece of land to the Mumbai Cricket Association to build a new, massive stadium in Mumbai, which can accommodate as many as 1,00,000 spectators.Speaking at a glittering ceremony on Friday in which the Mumbai Cricket Association named a stand each at the iconic Wankhede Stadium after India’s ODI captain Rohit Sharma, former India captain Ajit Wadekar and ex-ICC, BCCI & MCA president Sharad Pawar, Fadnavis said, "Last year, Kale (late MCA president Amol Kale) and Ajinkya Naik (current MCA president) had come to me with a request that the MCA needed to build one more stadium of minimum 1,00,000-crowd capacity. And now today, I'm assuring Ajinkya that if you come with a proposal, then the Maharashtra govt will give you an appropriate good piece of land for the MCA to build its own big stadium which can seat 1,00,000 spectators. Maharashtra and Mumbai is a state of passionate cricket lovers. Everyone knows about Mumbai's contribution to (world) cricket," Fadnavis said."After four years, the MCA will be completing it's 100 years. So by then, we should have our new stadium ready. And whatever the MCA needs to do in order to build that (stadium), we will provide that," he added. Acknowledging the Maharashtra CM's announcement, MCA president Ajinkya Naik said, "He very much wants to do it (build a new stadium). He's a person with a progressive, positive mindset. He (also) wants that the MCA should've a stadium with a capacity of minimum 1,00,000 fans. And we have already applied for a place in Amne in Thane district. There's a chance that we may get a place somewhere else too. But the place in Amne is in our mind. Whatever the state government will allot us, we would love to have a big new stadium."TOI had reported on July 7 last year that the MCA was planning to build a massive cricket stadium in Amane village in Thane district. Amane is 13km off Thane, near Samruddhi Mahamarg.