MCA Stadium: Pune's Cricket Cathedral
The Maharashtra Cricket Association International Stadium in Gahunje is one of India's finest cricket venues — hosting IPL matches, international Tests, and the passionate cricket culture of a city that breathes the game.
MCA Stadium: Pune's Cricket Cathedral
36,000 seats. Floodlights that turn the Gahunje sky orange. And a crowd that knows every delivery.
Category: Sports | Capacity: 36,000+ | Location: Gahunje, Pune
The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) International Stadium at Gahunje, 20 km from Pune city, is one of India's most modern cricket grounds. Built in 2012, it rapidly became a preferred international venue for BCCI — hosting Test matches, ODIs, and IPL games for the Pune franchise (formerly Rising Pune Supergiant, now Punjab Kings home base).
The Cricket Culture of Pune
Pune is not Mumbai — it does not have the IPL franchise or the cricketing celebrity. But its cricket culture is among the most knowledgeable and passionate in India. The city's numerous cricket academies, its dedicated club cricket structure, and its coaching pipeline have produced multiple Ranji Trophy and India players over the decades.
The Deccan Gymkhana ground in central Pune has a cricket history stretching back to the British era — its pitches have seen matches between colonial regiments and early Indian clubs.
Rising Pune Supergiant
For two seasons (2016-17), Pune hosted an IPL franchise — the Rising Pune Supergiant, captained by MS Dhoni and then Steve Smith. The team reached the IPL Final in 2017, losing to Mumbai Indians in a thriller. The two seasons created a concentrated passion for T20 cricket in the city that remains.
At the MCA Stadium under floodlights, 36,000 voices becoming one is one of the most exhilarating sounds in Indian sport.
📍 MCA International Stadium — Gahunje, Pune—Mumbai Expressway, Pune District
