Wankhede Stadium gets heartbreaking jolt days after iconic T20 World Cup celebrations; new stadium in Mumbai to become Cricket Center

Mumbai has been an iconic city in India's rich history. When it comes to cricket, this city has hosted many historic games in the past, including the 2011 ODI World Cup final, which India went on to win.

Recently, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has been planning to build a new cricket stadium in the city which can have a capacity of 1 Lakh spectators. The stadium is expected to be the dream project of former MCA President Amol Kale, who passed away last month in New York following a cardiac arrest after watching the India-Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2024.

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New cricket Stadium set to be built in Mumbai

According to a report in the TOI, the MCA is looking to build the new stadium in Thane district, which is 68 km away from the Wankhede Stadium. The new stadium will be set up on 50 acres of open land in Amane village.

It is believed that the MCA has already submitted the open tender floated by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to acquire the land for the stadium. Currently, they are awaiting the approval of the Maharashtra government for the project.

This report of the new stadium has come a day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called for Mumbai to have a bigger stadium that can have more seating capacity. Fadnavis said this during the felicitation ceremony of four Mumbai players, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Yashasvi Jaiswal in India's T20 World Cup 2024-winning squad. All four players were invited to the Maharashtra state assembly.

“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,” Fadnavis said during the felicitation of four players at Maharashtra state assembly.

Three international cricket stadiums in Mumbai

Currently, there are three international cricket stadiums in Mumbai, named Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium, and DY Patil Cricket Stadium. While Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium are situated in Mumbai, DY Patil Stadium is located in Navi Mumbai.

Wankhede Stadium has a capacity of 33,000, Brabourne Stadium has a capacity of 20,000 while the DY Patil Stadium can accommodate 45,000 people. All three grounds have hosted high-profile matches in the past but Wankhede Stadium is the most iconic of all them.

Wankhede Stadium has hosted many iconic games in the past. The 2011 ODI World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka is probably the biggest game the venue has hosted so far. India went on to beat Sri Lanka in that match and lifted the ODI World Cup trophy after 28 years. The pictures of Sachin Tendulkar being lifted by his teammates and India's celebration are some of the moments to remember from this ground.