The Mumbai Cricket Association has opened the bidding process for a ninth T20 Mumbai League franchise, with the new team set to represent Navi Mumbai as the competition broadens its geographic footprint.
The move follows the league’s fourth edition in June and creates an additional franchise opportunity for prospective investors. It will also expand the player pathway available through the tournament by adding another squad representing a major part of the wider Mumbai region.
MCA opens franchise bidding process
The association issued its tender on August 10, setting out the process through which interested and eligible parties can pursue the rights to operate the new team.
The Mumbai Cricket Association said in its official Tender Notice: “The Mumbai Cricket Association (“MCA”), governing body of the T20 Mumbai League, invites bids from interested and eligible parties for the right to operate one (1) team in the prestigious T20 Mumbai League (Men).”
Bid documents are available until August 25 from the MCA office on the third floor of the Cricket Centre at Wankhede Stadium in Churchgate. They can be obtained between 11am and 6pm during the designated period.
Prospective bidders must pay a non-refundable ₹2.5 lakh (approx. US$2.6K) fee for the documentation. Payment can be made by demand draft in favour of the Mumbai Cricket Association or through a bank transfer using the details specified in the tender notice.
Navi Mumbai adds a new market to the league
Assigning the ninth franchise to Navi Mumbai extends the competition’s presence beyond its existing team structure while bringing another part of the metropolitan region directly into the league.
The expansion also increases the number of franchise places available to cricketers from Mumbai and surrounding areas. That adds another competitive pathway within a tournament that combines established players with emerging local talent.
The fourth edition featured prominent names including Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube alongside developing players from Mumbai cricket.
The Mumbai Cricket Association said in a statement: “The season saw strong fan interest and competitive cricket, further strengthening the league’s position as one of India’s leading franchise-based domestic T20 tournaments.”
Expansion creates additional commercial inventory
A ninth team also broadens the T20 Mumbai League as a commercial property. An additional franchise creates more inventory around team partnerships and sponsorship while extending the competition into the Navi Mumbai market.
For the MCA, the expansion provides another potential source of franchise-related revenue and increases the league’s overall commercial footprint. The additional team could also widen the property available to brands seeking exposure across different parts of the Mumbai metropolitan region.
The tender process now moves that expansion from planning into the market, with interested parties able to acquire the bid documents through August 25. The successful addition of the Navi Mumbai franchise would take the men’s T20 Mumbai League to nine teams for its next phase of growth.
