The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is in a fix after several of its members have come up with various requests of naming stands and walking bridges around the Wankhede stadium after renowned personalities.
The MCA has received requests and proposals from its club members to name stands or assorted places outside the stadium on its past presidents, Sharad Pawar, late Vilasrao Deshmukh, as well as late India captain Ajit Wadekar, late Eknath Solkar, late Dilip Sardesai, late Padmakar Shivalkar, former India captain Diana Edulji and current India captain Rohit Sharma.
“There have been suggestions from members and the final decision will be taken by the general body members of the Mumbai Cricket Association,” MCA president Ajinkya Naik told The Indian Express.
In its Apex Council meeting of MCA, the association discussed naming one of the stands on Rohit Sharma, under whom India won the T20 World Cup in 2024 and later Champions Trophy in 2025. It is a feat no Mumbai player has achieved as Indian captain.
The MCA currently has one unattributed Grand Stand available above its president’s box which they can name inside the stadium. The East Stand is named on one of India’s finest openers Sunil Gavaskar, which is a common man’s stand. West Stand is in the name of Vijay Merchant, North has been named after Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar. The media gallery has been named after late Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray. In 2022, MCA decided to have a life size statue of Tendulkar inside the stadium.
Now with so many requests coming in, the MCA doesn’t have suitable avenues left to honour its cricketing heroes and administrators.
Former BCCI and MCA office-bearer Ratnakar Shetty says he still demands to have a stand named after 1971 West Indies triumphant hero Ajit Wadekar, who passed away in 2018, as his contribution to Mumbai cricket has been immense. The MCA wanted to name its lounge after Wadekar few years ago but his family requested the MCA to name a stand instead of a lounge.
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“MCA wanted to name the lounge after him, this issue of naming a stand after him has been pending for the last four years. We have raised this again. The Grand Stand which is above the president’s box is the ideal place as it doesn’t have any other names in the stand. He deserves more than anybody else after all he was India Test captain, and under him Mumbai won many Ranji Trophies. He served as MCA office-bearer and played roles at multiple levels. The issue needs to be looked at again,” Shetty said.
As per MCA rules, naming of any stand needs the AGM’s approval which is scheduled to take place on April 15 and will take a call on all these requests made.
MCA has already named its Indoor academy in Bandra followed by its upcoming library after Pawar, a BCCI and ICC president. However, some club members want a stand to be named after him inside the stadium.
There were requests from the club to name two foot bridges which allow fans to enter the stadium from the east side after Sardesai and Solkar.
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“We have requested MCA to name one of the bridges after former India womens captain Diana Edulji. She has served India and Mumbai cricket for a long time now. Let’s see if MCA members approve our suggestion,” informed Shah Alam Shaik, a former MCA office-bearer.
