Mumbai, Apr 15 (UNI) In a historic move to honour India's cricketing icons, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Tuesday approved a proposal to rename three stands at the Wankhede Stadium after skipper Rohit Sharma, former India captain Ajit Wadekar, and veteran administrator Sharad Pawar.
The decision was taken at the MCA's Annual General Meeting (AGM), where the resolution — initially proposed by apex council member Milind Narvekar and seconded by Jitendra Awhad — received unanimous approval from the house.
"Three stands at Wankhede Stadium will be honoured after notable figures in Indian cricket. The Grand Stand Level 3 will be named the Shri Sharad Pawar Stand, Grand Stand Level 4 will become the Ajit Wadekar Stand, and Divecha Pavilion Level 3 will be designated as the Rohit Sharma Stand," an MCA statement said.
The AGM also passed a resolution to rename the match-day office at the MCA Pavilion as the MCA Office Lounge in memory of former MCA president Amol Kale, who passed away in 2024 at the age of 47.
"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," MCA president Ajinkya Naik said.
Rohit, who recently led India to back-to-back global titles — the ICC Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup — holds a special bond with the Wankhede Stadium. As captain of the Mumbai Indians, he has guided the franchise to a record five IPL titles, earning him the adoration of fans who chant "Mumbai cha Raja" every time he takes the field.
In 11 international appearances at the venue, Rohit has scored 402 runs at an average of 36, including a century and a fifty. His T20 numbers at the ground are even more prolific, with 2,543 runs to his name, including a century.
The AGM also greenlit a major financial resolution aimed at bolstering the city’s cricketing infrastructure. The corpus for MCA-affiliated clubs has been raised to ₹75 crore, with a target of ₹100 crore in the coming years to strengthen grassroots development.
With this move, Wankhede adds more legendary names to its storied structure, which already includes stands named after cricketing stalwarts such as Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Vijay Merchant.
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