The Mumbai Cricket Association has confirmed that the Level 1 tier beneath the press box at Wankhede Stadium will soon carry Ravi Shastri’s name. The unanimous call came out of Friday’s Apex Council meeting.
“Mumbai cricket is built on the foundation laid by our stalwarts. It is our responsibility to honour those who have brought pride to the city and the nation. The proposal to name Level 1 Stand below the press box after Ravi Shastri is a tribute to his immense contribution as a player, leader and coach,” MCA president Ajinkya Naik explained.
Shastri, a Bombay all-rounder before the city became Mumbai in scorecards, turned out in 80 Tests and 150 one-dayers for India. More recently, he guided the national side from the dressing-room, overseeing a first Test series win in Australia in 2018-19 and repeating the trick two seasons later. His stint also included a Champions Trophy final (2017) and a World Cup semi-final (2019), though it ended on a flatter note with the T20 World Cup group exit of 2021.
The association will also rename three stadium gates in tribute to Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar and Diana Edulji.
Sardesai’s 642 runs in the West Indies in 1971 remain folklore in these parts, the backbone of India’s maiden series triumph in the Caribbean. Solkar, famed for his fearless short-leg catching – he averaged nearly three catches per Test – was often the difference between half-chances and breakthroughs. Edulji captained India’s women 22 times, spent decades pushing for equal facilities and still drops by the ground for the odd domestic fixture.
“Dedicating gates at Wankhede Stadium to Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar and Diana Edulji ensures that every fan who walks into the stadium is reminded of the legends who shaped our glorious cricketing heritage,” Naik added.
Renaming work is expected to start once the current Ranji Trophy home match block finishes, avoiding disruption for spectators. A low-key unveiling, rather than a gala event, is being discussed; MCA sources feel the players would prefer a modest ceremony that lets the cricket take centre stage.
It is, in the end, a nod to Mumbai’s habit of remembering its past even as another promising crop tries to add to a very long honours board.
