The Mumbai Cricket Association has decided to increase its subsidy corpus for affiliated clubs to ₹500 crore over the next 10 years, as part of a major push to strengthen grassroots cricket infrastructure. The decision was taken during the association’s annual general meeting on Friday, alongside a proposal to name designated lounges at Wankhede Stadium after Sachin Tendulkar, Ajinkya Rahane and former India cricketer Madhav Mantri.

The subsidy corpus was initially approved at ₹100 crore by the MCA apex council in April this year, with the aim of providing long-term financial stability and sustainability to clubs associated with the organisation. The funds are intended to support facility maintenance, equipment purchases, talent development and other operational requirements at the grassroots level across Mumbai.

MCA president Ajinkya Naik said ₹40 crore would be contributed towards the corpus, taking the overall planned fund to ₹500 crore over the coming decade. He said affiliated clubs could use the assistance for logistics, equipment and other needs, highlighting the importance of sustained financial support for the development of cricket beyond the professional level.

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The association also approved the naming of Wankhede Stadium lounges after Tendulkar, Rahane and Madhav Mantri. Mantri, a former Mumbai captain and MCA president, represented India in four Tests, while Tendulkar is regarded as one of the country’s greatest cricketers. Rahane, who recently retired from cricket, has also been a prominent figure in Mumbai’s cricketing history.

Naik said a three-member committee, along with the MCA secretaries, had been appointed to oversee the lounge allocation process. The committee includes MCA vice-president Jitendra Awhad, apex council member Milind Narvekar and advocate Ujwal Nikam. The initiative is intended to recognise the contributions of the three cricketers to Mumbai and Indian cricket.

Separately, former Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court Amjad Sayed has been appointed as the MCA’s ombudsman. The association’s cricket committee, headed by Raju Kulkarni with Sangita Katware and Preeti Dimri as members, has also received an extension. The decisions reflect the MCA’s focus on strengthening administrative structures while investing in the long-term development of cricket in Mumbai.

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