The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has officially committed a Rs 500 crore corpus to bolster grassroots cricket development across the city. The announcement was made during the association’s annual general meeting held at Wankhede Stadium on Friday, September 11. This substantial fund is intended to support school, college, and maidan clubs over the next decade, marking a significant increase from the previous Rs 100 crore allocation.
MCA president Ajinkya Naik explained that the association plans to contribute Rs 40 crore annually toward this fund over the next 10 years. The capital will be maintained in a fixed deposit, with the generated interest distributed to affiliated clubs. These funds are designed to assist with various operational needs, including the provision of cricket equipment, logistics, and facility improvements, allowing clubs the flexibility to address their specific requirements.
In addition to the financial boost for local cricket, the MCA reached several decisions regarding the infrastructure at Wankhede Stadium. The association will name three stadium lounges in honor of cricketing icons Sachin Tendulkar, Madhav Mantri, and Ajinkya Rahane. A dedicated committee has been tasked with selecting the specific locations for these tributes. Furthermore, the MCA is moving forward with plans to install a statue of former cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar within the stadium complex.
Regarding the ongoing discussions surrounding the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, which has drawn attention following recent inquiries from the Supreme Court, the MCA has adopted a cautious stance. President Ajinkya Naik confirmed that the association has not yet held formal internal discussions on the matter. Instead, the MCA intends to align its position entirely with the directives provided by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), stating, “We have not discussed it. We will go by the BCCI decision.” The report also notes that we contributed Rs 100 crores and this time we did increase it to Rs 500 crores for our grassroots cricketers, clubs like maidan clubs, school clubs and college clubs,” MCA president Ajinkya Naik said aft, in the last AGM.
