The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Gahunje is difficult to miss from the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Nearly an hour away from Pune city and more than two hours from Mumbai, it is in the middle of nowhere and has multiple residential complexes – either under construction or ready to move – towering next to each other.
India’s previous three venues – Chennai, New Delhi and Ahmedabad – were bang in the middle of the city and commuting wasn’t as painful as it is going to be in Pune. There is no buzz here and only scores of “booking offices” outside the societies and it’s difficult to gauge cricket vibe in the region because everyone here is on the move.
It’s merely a refuelling or stretching the legs stop en-route Pune and is dominated by factory outlets of leading brands on both the left and right side of the long Expressway. The stadium is not a usual destination and even a local cab driver, operating for five years, is making his first drop today.
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“This is the first time I am coming here in all these years. Regular matches hote hai yaha (are there regular matches here?),” he politely asked.
On learning about five World Cup matches at the stadium, he gave a surprised look.
“Accha! There is no talk about it here sir. Mai to roz gaadi chalata hu, kisi ne kuch bola hi nahi na hi pucha (I drive every day, no one mentioned even once),” adds the middle-aged cab driver.
Just 200m from the stadium is a giant billboard reminding about tickets. “Only online ticket redemption… no offline sales here,” it reads before a narrow bylane leads to the stadium.
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A grandstand, with a quirky roof design, is the highlight of this facility with plenty of open spaces and very minimal shade for the spectators. On spotting the floodlights, the driver was bewildered with the design and had another innocent question. “Yaha raat ko bhi match hota hai (do matches happen at night also)?” he asks before finding another ride.
A giant statue of DB Deodhar and covered nameplate of “Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium” greets you along with a fresh smell of adhesive and heaps of sawdust in the corridors. Much like the area around it, the venue itself gives another reminder of an under-construction facility in Noida and looks like just nearing the possession stage.
Teams of the International Cricket Council (ICC) are inspecting the various arrangements and ensuring various makeshift arrangements – the free drinking water kiosk to first-aid kiosk are ready. All this while, a decent number of staff are stationed in the stands regularly cleaning the area and wiping any dust or stains off the seats.
Open spaces on the west and east side allow gentle breeze across the stadium but this was around 4 pm, nearing the evening hours. The mere thought of braving the sun from 1:30 pm on October 19 makes it an uncomfortable experience.
“Virat sir, cheeku bhai, Kohli” chants as Virat Kohli makes his way to the nets with his kitbag. Gill, meanwhile, wastes very little time and is shadow-batting on the pitch— Sahil Malhotra (@Sahil_Malhotra1) October 17, 2023
It was Bangladesh’s turn to get the first hit at the venue when they trained in the afternoon hours near the main square. There was substantial participation from the side ahead of their big contest against India, who have won their first three contests in a comprehensive fashion. The Men in Blue will be training under lights in the evening hours and it remains to be seen whether the switched-on floodlights could spark some buzz in the vicinity.
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