The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) on Sunday thanked the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) for visiting the MCA International Stadium in Pune and showing interest in the venue.
“We extend our sincere thanks to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals for visiting MCA International Stadium, Gahunje, Pune a couple of weeks back. Their presence marks a significant step in showcasing the MCA International Stadium, Pune, as a premier destination for top-tier cricketing events,” MCA said in a social media post on X.
MCA called it an important step toward showcasing their venue, while expressing gratitude to RCB and RR, noting that their visit helped highlight it as a top destination for major cricket events. The state cricket association expressed confidence that, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) support, the stadium will soon be approved to host IPL matches for one of these teams.
We thank Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals for visiting MCA International Stadium, Gahunje, Pune, a few weeks ago. Their visit highlights the stadium’s readiness to host top-tier cricket.
With BCCI’s continued support to the Maharashtra Cricket Association, we are… pic.twitter.com/v2lhve5uyT
— Maharashtra Cricket Association (@MahaCricket) January 4, 2026
“Considering BCCI’s support for the Maharashtra Cricket Association, we are sure that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will approve the MCA International Stadium as a venue for upcoming fixtures of one of these teams in the near future. With BCCI’s support, Indian Premier League (IPL) matches can soon be hosted in Pune-bringing high-profile clashes, world-class players, and the electrifying IPL spectacle to cricket fans in the city.”
“Maharashtra Cricket Association looks forward to welcoming big matches, big players, and unforgettable moments very soon,” MCA’s post further read.
MCA hosted the knockout stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, India’s domestic T20 tournament, where Jharkhand had beaten Haryana in the finals to life their maiden SMAT title. The last international match in Pune was in January 2025, when India played England in a T20I game. The Suryakumar Yadav-led Men in Blue had won the game by 15 runs while batting first.
MCA has hosted five T20Is, three Tests, and 12 ODIs thus far.
