New Delhi: Mumbai Cricket Association felicitated former India cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Vinod Kambli among others as it began celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Wankhede Stadium.
Ahead of the main event of the anniversary celebrations on January 19, the MCA hosted some of Mumbai’s cricketing heroes that included Sanjay Manjrekar, Wasim Jaffer, Raju Kulkarni, Chandrakant Pandit, Lalchand Rajput, Shobha Pandit and Arundhati Ghosh.
MCA president Ajinkya Naik presented a memento to Gavaskar, who was the first Mumbai skipper to receive recognition for enriching Mumbai cricket, also being a member of the Indian team that played the inaugural Test at the ground against West Indies in 1974.
“It is indeed a very big honour for me to be here at this iconic venue that has given Indian cricket so much, the 2011 Cricket World Cup being the icing on the cake, and to be part of the start of the celebrations of 50 years of Wankhede Stadium,” Gavaskar said.
🚨 50 YEARS OF WANKHEDE STADIUM 🚨@MumbaiCricAssoc will celebrate the 50 years of Wankhede stadium from January 12 to 19 – the best stadium for cricket atmosphere turns to glorious fifty 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/7TjlYcvejX
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 19, 2024
“As an opening batter, I couldn’t miss the start so I am here. I want to wish the MCA all the best and also want to express my deepest sense of gratitude for giving me opportunities since school cricket.
“I am what I am because MCA lifted me and helped me to take those steps and subsequently supported me even when I was playing for India…I want to thank you all for having me here,” he said.
Ailing Kambli makes an appearance
Former left hand batter Vinod Kambli has battled several serious health ailments and was recently discharged from hospital but made sure to attend the event.
“I remember I smashed my first double hundred here against England and then went on to score many more hundreds in my career,” he said.
“If anyone wants to play for India like me or Sachin (Tendulkar), then I would advise that you should keep working hard and never leave doing that because that’s what Sachin and me did since our childhood days.”
From the first match to 50 glorious years! 🏟️
📹 Hear it straight from our very favourite Sunil Gavaskar 💙Let’s celebrate the legacy… Book your tickets now! 🎟️
Link in bio 🔗#Wankhede50 | #MCA | #Mumbai | #Cricket pic.twitter.com/D1Zi4ey9hi— Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) (@MumbaiCricAssoc) January 12, 2025
Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri, Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav and Diana Edulji would also be a part of MCA’s week-long celebrations that includes felicitate the groundsmen of clubs and grounds, organisation of a health camp and special lunch for them on January 15.
Members of the Mumbai team which played the first First-Class match at the Wankhede Stadium in 1974 would also be honoured while the MCA would also release a coffee table book on January 19, in addition to issuance of a commemorative postal stamp.
Ahead of the main event of the anniversary celebrations on January 19, the MCA hosted some of Mumbai’s cricketing heroes Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
