Pune, Apr 2: ICC president and Union Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Sunday inaugurated the international cricket stadium built by the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) at Gahunje, near here, which will host IPL matches this season.
The Rs 300 crore stadium, with a capacity of 45,000, is named as “Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium” and will be a home ground for the Sahara Pune Warriors team in the IPL.
Pawar hailed the role of MCA and its president Ajay Shirke in shaping the stadium, which he said, was “one of the best he had seen in the country”.
He said the new stadium could be considered as a venue of international matches to be played at Pune by ICC with the BCCI proposal to that effect.
Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who was present, unveiled a statue of legendary cricketer D B Deodhar at the stadium.
Those present on the occasion included Subrata Roy, chairman of the Sahara India group, which has contributed towards the construction of the stadium.
