Some of Mumbai’s cricketing heroes, including legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar and former player Vinod Kambli, were on Sunday felicitated by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) at the opening event of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Wankhede Stadium.
The main event will be held on January 19 at the Wankhede Stadium.
A host of other cricketing stalwarts, including Sanjay Manjrekar, Wasim Jaffer, Raju Kulkarni, Chandrakant Pandit, Lalchand Rajput, Shobha Pandit and Arundhati Ghosh, who all had contributed to the rich legacy of Mumbai cricket, were also felicitated.
Gavaskar was the first Mumbai captain to be felicitated on Sunday. He was presented a memento by MCA President Ajinkya Naik.
“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.
“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.
Gavaskar was also a member of the Indian team that played the inaugural Test at the Wankhede Stadium against the West Indies in 1974.
Kambli, who was recently discharged from a local hospital after being admitted to the ICU on December 21 due to health complications, was also present on the occasion. He was seen being escorted around as he is still on the recovery path.
After his felicitation, Kambli spoke about his playing days at the iconic venue.
“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.”
Speaking on the occasion, MCA President Naik said, “Wankhede Stadium’s 50th anniversary is a special occasion for us. Today was the start of the grand celebration.
“Our main goal behind this week-long event is to inform the next generation about Mumbai’s cricket history and contributions of men’s and women’s players who played for Mumbai and inspire the young generation to take forward this legacy.”
Former MCA President Vijay Patil was also felicitated.
The Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM) was also felicitated for the support and contribution to Mumbai cricket.
As part of the week-long celebrations, two exciting cricket matches involving teams from MCA, SJAM, Consul Generals and IAS Officers were held.
Legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma and Dilip Vengsarkar will also be part of the grand celebrations.
The other stalwarts who are expected to join the celebrations are former India skippers Ravi Shastri, Ajinkya Rahane, current T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav and former national women’s team captain Diana Edulji.
The main event will also feature Mumbai’s legendary men’s and women’s players from domestic and international cricket.
The 50th anniversary celebrations will continue throughout the week.
MCA will felicitate the groundsmen of clubs and grounds, and organise Polly Umrigar Health Camp and special lunch for them on January 15.
This will be followed by felicitation of the members of the Mumbai team which played the first First-Class match at the Wankhede Stadium in 1974.
The MCA will also release a coffee table book on January 19, while a commemorative postal stamp will also be issued.
