Mumbai Cricket Association pledges 500-crore INR fund for grassroots cricket

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has pledged to establish a 500-crore INR corpus fund dedicated to the development of grassroots cricket in Mumbai. Announced during the annual general meeting at Wankhede Stadium on September 11, the fund is intended to support school, college, and maidan clubs over the next decade.

Operating as an endowment fund, the principal amount will be held in a fixed deposit, with the interest earned being distributed to affiliated clubs. This structure allows clubs to fund various needs, such as cricket equipment, kits, facilities, and logistics, without depleting the original corpus. MCA president Ajinkya Naik noted that the allocation was increased from 100 crores in the previous meeting to the current 500 crores.

Additionally, the MCA decided to name three lounges at Wankhede Stadium after cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar, Madhav Mantri, and Ajinkya Rahane. A committee has been formed to oversee the creation of these spaces. The association is also working on installing a statue of Dilip Vengsarkar within the Wankhede complex.