MUMBAI: Recognition may have come a little late for Ravi Shastri, but when it did, it was in a big way. In a glittering ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) inaugurated a stand named after the former Indian player, head coach and noted commentator.
Fittingly located below the press box, the stand was inaugurated in the presence of several cricketing greats including captain Suryakumar Yadav, winner of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, 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 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, as you see, in all these years, it is rich in history, and the two names that I have taken here, Sunny and Dilip, who played with me, you will not find two cricketers bigger than them,” he said.
“Because we didn’t like to lose. They were ‘khadoos’ (tenacious) and so was I. So any team that plays against us, whatever the level of cricket, if you think you have won a game, you will have to go to two or three temples or even five. And even then you won’t win it until it’s over. And that was Mumbai cricket. That was the character of Mumbai cricket. And it came to the fore in the years that passed.”
He fondly recalled leading a young Mumbai team to the 1993-94 Ranji Trophy title in his last first-class season.
“One of the most important matches or the happiest moments of my career happened again on this field. It was in 1994. It was the Ranji Trophy final. It was against Bengal… But we won the Ranji Trophy. And that’s why I feel proud today, because many of those players continued 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 in the ball.
He added: “One of the best stories I have in Wankhede is that of a Ranji Trophy final. And on the fifth day, Delhi Cricket Association secretary Sunil Dev announced Rs 10,000 for the Delhi team if they won the Ranji Trophy. And Delhi needed another 140 or 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. In front of me was Kiran Mukashi. And someone from the Delhi team, another World Cup-winning player, a colleague of mine from India, Kirti Azad, walking 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 you can pass that 10,000 rupees reward too!’ But those are memories.”
Recounting his early days, Shastri spoke of his first visit to Wankhede as a spectator in 1976 and later as a player, rising through school and college. He also recalled key moments as an India player, including his Test debut against England in 1981 and memorable partnerships with Syed Kirmani and Vengsarkar. “So the memories go on and on,” he said.
‘We will 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.
“No matter how many new stadiums we create, Wankhede remains Wankhede! It will always remain an iconic cricket stadium in Mumbai and we will always celebrate cricket in 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 grand final, that’s why Mumbai needs a bigger stadium… I am sure we will create the best stadium in the country.”