Mumbai: The iconic Wankhede Stadium in south Mumbai, which has hosted several memorable matches, including the 2011 ODI World Cup final which was won by India, will now have stands named after star batter Rohit Sharma, former India skipper late Ajit Wadekar and former International Cricket Council (ICC) and BCCI chief Sharad Pawar.
The decision was taken during the 86th Annual General Meeting of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) held here on Tuesday.
MCA Secretary Abhay Hadap in a media statement said, "Another key resolution passed during the AGM was the approval of the naming of stands at Wankhede Stadium, a proposal initially put forward by Milind Narvekar and seconded by Jitendra Awhad. The house unanimously approved the following stand namings: Grand Stand Level 3: Shri Sharad Pawar Stand, Grand Stand Level 4: Ajit Wadekar Stand and Divecha Pavilion Level 3: Rohit Sharma Stand."
"Further, in a heartfelt tribute to Late Amol Kale, the match day office at the MCA Pavilion will now be known as the MCA Office Lounge in memory of Amol Kale," Hadap added.
According to Hadap, a major highlight of the meeting was the decision to increase the corpus for affiliated clubs to Rs. 75 crores, with a forward-looking plan to enhance it to Rs. 100 crores in the coming years.
"This significant move is aimed at strengthening grassroots infrastructure and supporting the long-term growth of cricket across the city," the MCA Secretary said.
MCA President Ajinkya Naik said, "Today’s decisions reflect our deep respect for the pillars of Mumbai cricket and our determination to build an even stronger future. These stands and this lounge shall forever echo the legacy of those who built Mumbai’s cricketing spirit — brick by brick, run by run."
Rohit Sharma is a modern-day legend and under his leadership, India won two successive ICC tournaments - the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in 2025, which was hosted by Pakistan. India, however, played all their matches in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
A prolific batter, Rohit plays for Mumbai in the domestic circuit. Ajit Wadekar, who passed away on August 15, 2018, had led India to a historic Test series win in England and West Indies in 1971. Wadekar, an elegant left-handed batter, was a domestic bulwark and represented Mumbai in the domestic circuit.
Sharad Pawar, a former Union Minister and former Maharashtra Chief Minister, is also a noted cricket administrator. He was also the Presdient of the MCA.
The Wankhede Stadium has stands named after cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Vijay Merchant and Dilip Vengsarkar. The Stadium, which also houses the headquarters of BCCI, has a full statue of Tendulkar, who has numerous records to his name.
