Pune: Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium will now have stands dedicated to former MCA, BCCI and ICC chief Sharad Pawar, and cricketers Ajit Wadekar and Rohit Sharma.
The decision to honour the three, who have made significant contributions to Indian cricket, was taken at Mumbai Cricket Association’s (MCA) 86th Annual General Meeting held Tuesday.
Sharad Pawar Stand and Ajit Wadekar Stand will be right behind the bowler’s arm, one above the other, and Level 3 of the Vithal Divecha Pavillion, facing northwest, will be called the Rohit Sharma Stand. Further, the MCA’s office lounge will be in memory of its late president Amol Kale.
MCA president Ajinkya Naik, announcing the stands after the meeting, said: “Today’s decisions reflect our deep respect for the pillars of Mumbai cricket and our determination to build an even stronger future. These stands and this lounge shall forever echo the legacy of those who built Mumbai’s cricketing spirit, brick by brick, run by run.”
The Indian Premier League (IPL) started in 2008 when Sharad Pawar was president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, marking India’s rise as a major power in world cricket. He also served as International Cricket Council president in the run up to the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, co-hosted and won by India. He also served two terms as MCA president.
Wadekar is fondly remembered as the captain to lead the Indian team to victory overseas in test series, in the West Indies and in England, back in 1971. He was also team manager, a role that included duties as head coach, from 1992 to 1996, with captains Mohammad Azharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar. During this period, the Indian cricket team gained the reputation of being nearly invincible at home.
Rohit “Hitman” Sharma is the only batsman in the world to have scored three double hundreds in One Day Internationals (ODIs). He captained India to a T20 World Cup victory in the 2024 edition, and Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles, a record he holds with MS Dhoni of Chennai Super Kings.
Rohit Sharma Stand will be next to the Sunil Gavaskar Stand and will face stands named after Vijay Merchant and Sachin Tendulkar. Ajit Wadekar Stand will face Dilip Vengsarkar Stand, remembered for his contribution to a 2-0 win in test matches in England in 1986.
A decision was also taken at the MCA meeting to increase the expenditure on grassroots infrastructure and supporting cricket at affiliated clubs to Rs 75 crore, with the possibility of further increase to Rs 100 crore. Affiliated clubs are ordinary maidans, office, college and school clubs that are instrumental in organising tournaments like the Kanga League, which serve as feeders for higher levels of cricket.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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