Mumbai Cricket Association to Rename Stand After Former Captain Ravi Shastri

Mumbai. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has decided to give a special honor to former India captain and coach, Ravi Shastri. The 'Level 1' stand located beneath the press box at the famous Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will now be named after Shastri.

The decision was taken during the MCA Apex Council meeting held on Friday to recognize the contribution of Mumbai cricket legends. MCA President Ajinkya Nayak stated that the foundation of Mumbai cricket was laid by these legends, and it is the association's responsibility to honor personalities who have brought glory to the city and the nation.

He clarified that the naming is in honor of Shastri, remembering him as an excellent player, a successful leader, and an influential coach. Shastri, who spent a long time in domestic cricket for Mumbai, played 80 Tests and 150 ODIs for India.

Indian cricket achieved major milestones during Shastri's coaching tenure. As the head coach of Team India from 2017 to 2021, under his leadership, India created history by winning the Test series in Australia back-to-back (2018-19 and 2020-21). However, during his tenure, India reached the semi-finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup and were eliminated in the group stage of the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Along with Shastri, the Mumbai Cricket Association has also decided to immortalize three other former stalwarts at the Wankhede Stadium. Three entry gates of the stadium will be named after Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar, and Diana Edulji.

Sardesai played a key role in India's first historic victory in the West Indies in 1971 by scoring 642 runs on the tour. Similarly, Eknath Solkar is considered one of the best fielders in the cricket world, whose style of taking catches at short leg is still discussed today.

Diana Edulji, considered a pioneer of women's cricket, captained India in 22 international matches. According to President Nayak, dedicating the gates in the names of these legends will ensure that every fan entering the stadium remembers the glorious history of Indian cricket and the heroes who shaped it.