“We never tell BCCI anything about this [allotting of any particular match]. It is totally decided by the BCCI.”
MCA secretary Dr Unmesh Khanvilkar
The Mumbai Cricket Association’s (MCA) iconic Wankhede Stadium has always enjoyed support from passionate cricket-loving crowds, whether it’s during a Test match, an ODI or a T20I. Even during a bilateral series, both fans and players relished the atmosphere and the red-soil pitch. The latest international played here was the India vs England T20 World Cup semi-final that witnessed a full house.
However, the upcoming 2026-27 home season calendar, where Team India will be separately hosting four countries (West Indies, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Australia) across a total of 22 matches (see fixtures table), Mumbai’s enthusiastic fans will only have one match at their favourite venue. The BCCI have allotted the final game of the three-match ODI series between India and Zimbabwe, on January 9 next year.
“That is the BCCI’s call. They are our parent association and as per the calendar announced, we have to follow it. The BCCI must be having some thought process while allotting these games. Whatever match they have allotted us, we have always organised it well and this time too we will organise it [India vs Zimbabwe] properly. So, we welcome it,” MCA secretary Dr Unmesh Khanvilkar told mid-day on Thursday.
The passion of Mumbai’s fans can be gauged from the fact that they have enjoyed non-India games at this venue during the recent T20 World Cup, when Nepal, Italy and Scotland came visiting. When asked if MCA had expressed its inability to host any of the India vs Australia Tests or, for that matter, if they preferred to host a white-ball match over a red-ball match, Khanvilkar replied in the negative: “We never tell BCCI anything about this [allotting of any particular match]. It is totally decided by the BCCI.”
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