MCA to honour Ravi Shastri with stand, name Wankhede gates after Sardesai, Solkar, Edulji

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) will unveil the Ravi Shastri Stand and dedicate stadium gates to Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar and Diana Edulji at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, honouring four of Mumbai and India’s cricketing greats.

The unveiling ceremony will be graced by the Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. MCA president Ajinkya Naik will also be present, alongside Apex Council members, office bearers, and members of the cricketing fraternity. The decision to honour these legends was approved by the MCA Apex Council at its meeting held in February.

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As part of the initiative, the Level 1 Stand below the Press Box at the Wankhede Stadium will be named after former India captain and renowned commentator Ravi Shastri, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Mumbai and Indian cricket as a player, leader and coach. In addition, Gate No. 3, Gate No. 5, and Gate No. 6 will be formally unveiled as the Dilip Sardesai Gate, Diana Edulji Gate, and Eknath Solkar Gate, respectively, paying tribute to Mumbai stalwarts who have made a lasting impact on Indian cricket.

Naik said: “This ceremony marks a proud moment for Mumbai cricket as we come together on 9th April to honour these iconic figures. The unveiling of the Ravi Shastri Stand, along with the dedication of stadium gates to Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar and Diana Edulji, reflects our deep respect for their invaluable contributions. We look forward to celebrating their legacy at Wankhede Stadium while inspiring future generations to uphold the same values and strive for greatness.”

Shastri played 80 Tests and 150 ODIs for India, scoring 6938 runs, including 15 hundreds, besides picking 280 wickets in international cricket. The left-arm spinner was part of India's World Cup triumph in 1983 and the 1985 Champions of Champions triumph.

Post his retirement, Shastri took over commentary duties and was the crisis man for the BCCI in terms of the senior national men's team. He was roped in by the BCCI as the team director in 2014-15 and then became the side's head coach.

Edulji took 109 wickets in 54 internationals (20 Women's Tests and 34 WODIs) with her left-arm spin. The 69-year-old was a member of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) running the BCCI in 2018-19 and took plenty of steps to promote women’s cricket and improve facilities for the Indian women’s cricket team during her stint as an administrator.

Solkar was famous for his acrobatic fielding at short leg. Often regarded as Indian cricket's 'Renaissance Man,' Sardesai was instrumental in India's historic win on their 1971 West Indies tour, scoring 642 runs, including three centuries and a top score of 212. A former batting great, Sardesai scored 54 & 40 in India's Oval Test win against West Indies in 1971. Sardesai's celebrated career spanned 30 Tests, in which he scored 2001 runs at an average of 39.23, including five centuries and nine fifties. he was the first Indian batsman to have scored a double hundred at the Brabourne Stadium-he scored 200 not out against New Zealand in the 1965-66 Test, helping India draw the Test after they were following on.