‘We didn’t like losing’: Ravi Shastri recalls Mumbai’s ‘khadoos’ culture as Wankhede stand named after him

MUMBAI: Recognition may have come a little late for Ravi Shastri, but when it did, it was in grand fashion. In a glittering ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) unveiled a stand named after the former India allrounder, head coach and noted commentator.

Fittingly located below the press box, the stand was inaugurated in the presence of several cricketing greats, including 2026 ICC T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav and former India captains Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Diana Edulji, and Shastri himself.

The event also saw gates at the stadium named after former India captain Diana Edulji and late greats Dilip Sardesai and Eknath Solkar. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, state minister Ashish Shelar and MCA president Ajinkya Naik were also present.

Speaking at the event, Shastri reflected on the fierce, never-give-up attitude that defined Mumbai cricket during his playing days.

“With the MCA, you see in all these years, it's rich in history, and the two names I've taken here, Sunny and Dilip who played with me, you won't get two bigger cricketers than them," he said.

"Because we didn't like losing. They were 'khadoos,' (tenacious) and so was I. So, any team that played against us, whatever level of cricket, if you thought you had won a game, you'll have to go to two or three temples or even five. And still you won't win it till it's over. And that was Mumbai cricket. That was the character of Mumbai cricket. And it came to the fore in years that went by.”

He fondly recalled leading a young Mumbai side to the 1993-94 Ranji Trophy title in his final first-class season.

“One of the biggest games or the happiest moments of my career again came on this ground. It was 1994. It was the Ranji Trophy final. It was against Bengal...But, we won the Ranji Trophy. And why I feel proud today, because a lot of those players went on to play for another decade...And one of them (Amol Muzumdar) was the coach of the women's team that won the World Cup,” he added.

Shastri also shared a memorable anecdote from the 1984-85 Ranji Trophy final against Delhi, when he starred with the ball.

He added, “One of the best stories I have at the Wankhede is of a Ranji Trophy final. And on the fifth day, the secretary of the Delhi Cricket Association, Sunil Dev, announced Rs 10,000 for the Delhi team if they win the Ranji Trophy. And Delhi needed another 140, 150 runs to win. They had all their wickets intact.

"Chetan Chauhan was batting, I think, with Manoj Prabhakar. And I was sitting in that dressing room. Bang opposite me was Kiran Mukashi. And someone from the Delhi team, he was another World Cup-winning player, an India colleague of mine, Kirti Azad, as he passed by, said, 'keep the trophy nice and polished.' So I said, 'okay.' What happened the next day was history. We smashed Delhi and won the Ranji Trophy. We smashed Delhi. And I walked past him and said, 'the trophy is nice, now can you pass on that Rs 10,000 reward also! But those are memories.”

Recounting his early days, Shastri spoke about his first visit to Wankhede as a spectator in 1976 and later as a player, rising through school and college cricket. He also remembered key moments as an India player, including his debut Test against England in 1981 and memorable partnerships with Syed Kirmani and Vengsarkar. “So, the memories go on and on,” he said.

'We'll always celebrate cricket at Wankhede'

Meanwhile, Fadnavis assured that the Wankhede Stadium would retain its iconic status despite plans for a new stadium in Navi Mumbai.

“It doesn’t matter how many new stadia we create, Wankhede is still Wankhede! It will forever remain an iconic cricket stadium in Mumbai and we’ll always celebrate cricket at Wankhede. So we (state government) will always do our best to empower MCA and cricket,” he said.

Highlighting the need for a bigger venue, he added, “Everyone feels that Mumbai should host the big final, that’s why Mumbai needs a bigger stadium...I am sure we will come up with the best stadium in the country.”