Mumbai, April 3 -- The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) could soon get a new, state-of-the-art cricket stadium with a capacity of 100,000 spectators. Senior officials from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) met with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday to discuss plans for the facility, which will come up in Navi Mumbai, according to people familiar with the developments. If all things go to plan, the new facility would become the second-largest stadium in India by capacity, behind the 132,000-seater Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The planned stadium would be built near the new Navi Mumbai airport, the people said. The project awaits approval from the state cabinet, after which planning and preparation for the land allotment are expected to begin, with construction starting around six months later. The MCA confirmed the development on Thursday, stating that "a strategic initiative was undertaken" under Fadnavis's leadership "to advance the development of a world-class cricket stadium" in MMR. MCA president Ajinkya Naik and Vijay Singhal, the managing director of the City And Industrial Development Corporation Of Maharashtra (Cidco), "engaged in detailed discussions to chart the roadmap for this landmark infrastructure project," the statement said. The proposed stadium aims to set new benchmarks for sporting infrastructure, fan experience and integrated urban development, the statement added. At the moment, the MCA hosts its international matches at the Wankhede Stadium in south Mumbai. Though the iconic stadium, which hosted the 2011 World Cup final, is conveniently located near Churchgate, its capacity of 32,000 is often deemed insufficient to meet the demands of the cricket-crazy city. Plans for a new stadium started to take shape when Fadnavis pledged to allocate land in MMR for the project during the inauguration ceremony of the Rohit Sharma Stand at the Wankhede last May. Multiple meetings have been held since then, and a final decision was made on Wednesday. "This initiative marks a defining moment for Maharashtra's sporting ecosystem," Naik was quoted as saying in the MCA's statement. "A one-lakh capacity stadium in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region will not only elevate Mumbai cricket but also firmly position Maharashtra on the global sporting map. This world-class infrastructure will create unparalleled opportunities for player development, provide critical exposure to emerging talent, and strengthen the cricketing ecosystem across all levels."...