Maharashtra Premier League Set to Begin in Pune from June 4
Pune, 31st May 2025: The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president Rohit Pawar on Saturday announced in a press conference that the highly anticipated Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) and the Women’s Maharashtra Premier League (WMPL) will kick off from June 4 at the MCA International Stadium in Gahunje and anticipated that the two teams from Pune — 4S Puneri Bappa in MPL and Pune Warriors in WMPL would be raring to go.
Also present at the press conference were MCA Secretary Kamlesh Pisal, Apex Council Members Vinayak Dravid, Suhas Patwardhan, Sunil Mutha, Kalpana Tapiker, Sushil Shewale, MCA CEO Ajinkya Joshi, 4S Puneri Bappa team owner Ashish Desai, Pune Warriors team owner Manpreet Uppal, Satara Warriors team owner Gaurav Gadhok, along with other MCA officials and staff. Also present were players like Ramkrishna Ghosh, Yash Kshirsagar, Anuja Patil, and Pune Warriors vice-captain Shweta Mane.
MCA president Rohit Pawar announced that the association will provide a grant of ₹75 lakh to each district under its purview to develop cricket infrastructure, and the association is committed to nurturing talent.
“MCA will provide a grant of ₹75 lakh to each district for the development of cricket infrastructure, so that cricket is accessible to more and more players. The MCA is committed to nurturing talent and elevating Maharashtra cricket to greater heights,” he said.
“Maharashtra Premier League is a platform that provides opportunities to emerging players from the state. It allows gifted cricketers from the remote regions of the state to make their mark at the national level. The ultimate aim is that the MPL should produce international players,” Pawar added.
“The continued success of the tournament, now in its third year, is due in large part to the contributions of the team owners. MPL and WMPL are not just competitive platforms — they represent a family built on the dedication of team owners, players, officials, technical teams, and support staff,” he further said.
Pawar also acknowledged that Pune is the epicentre of Maharashtra cricket, and the MCA is looking to further bolster cricket infrastructure in the Pune district. He further expressed that with the development of infrastructure in Pune, an even greater number of players would go on to represent Maharashtra and eventually India.
The Maharashtra Cricket Association also announced plans to launch its cricket academy, modelled after the National Cricket Academy. This academy, to be named after former MCA president Ajay Shirke, will be established in Pune, followed by the launch of four regional academies across Maharashtra. These initiatives will significantly help in enhancing the standard of cricket in the state.
MPL & WMPL at a glance
The 2025 season of MPL will feature six teams — two-time defending champions Ratnagiri Jets, 4S Puneri Bappa, PBG Kolhapur Tuskers, Eagle Nashik Titans, Satara Warriors and Raigad Royals. The four teams participating in WMPL are Pune Warriors, Ratnagiri Jets, Solapur Smashers, and Raigad Royals. In this year’s player auction, a total of 409 male cricketers and 249 female cricketers went under the hammer.
The MPL and WMP, set to begin on June 4, 2025, at the MCA International Stadium, Pune, will be telecast on Star Sports 2 and will be streamed live on JioCinema.
Free Entry for the General Public
To ensure that the general public can enjoy high-quality cricket, the MCA has announced that spectators will have free entry for all matches. This is the third straight year when the general public will have free entry to all the games. Free parking, free drinking water are some of the other facilities that will be available for the fans at the MCA International Stadium.
The MCA also announced that special arrangements will be made to allow students from PMC, PCMC, and private schools to watch the matches live at the stadium.
Grand Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony of the MPL and WMPL will take place on the evening of Wednesday, June 4. The event will feature a spectacular drone show, celebrity performances, and will be followed by the opening game of the MPL to be played between the defending champions Ratnagiri Jets and Eagle Nashik Titans.
