Pune cricket stadium named after Subrata Roy Sahara

The new cricket stadium being built by the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) on the outskirts of Pune is to be named after Subrata Roy Sahara, the Chairman and Managing Worker of the Sahara Group.

This was announced at a function in Pune on Saturday by the President of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Sharad Pawar.

Originally, the stadium was proposed to be named after Sahara India Group, but since the rules did not permit naming of the stadium after any corporate brand or company, MCA decided to name it after Roy, according to the release.

Sahara had successfully outbid two other interested parties to get the naming rights for the stadium and other rights when the MCA issued an advertisement to this effect, the release said.

As per the deal with MCA, Sahara will have naming rights for the stadium in perpetuity and build an ultra modern club with 40 rooms at their own cost. The Lucknow-based corporate group will get rights to sell the club's membership.

Pune Warriors, the new IPL team, owned by Sahara Group, will make the stadium their base and home ground, it added.

Work on the project started in 2007 after MCA located a suitable land at Gahunje, alongside the expressway connecting Pune and Mumbai.

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) initially assisted the project by increasing the grant for the stadium to Rs 50 crore when Pawar was the BCCI President.