Vinod Kambli, Sunil Gavaskar and other Mumbai captains honored as MCA launches Wankhede stadium’s 50th anniversary celebrations
New Delhi: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) kicked off the week-long celebration of Wankhede Stadium’s 50th anniversary with a spectacular ceremony honoring former captains of the Mumbai cricket team, from both the men’s and women’s sides. The event, held at the iconic stadium, was attended by cricket greats, including Sunil Gavaskar, who was part of the Indian squad that played in the inaugural Test match at Wankhede against the West Indies in 1974.
Gavaskar expressed his heartfelt sentiments during the ceremony. “It is so good to be back at this iconic venue, a venue that has given Indian cricket such great moments. Today is the start of the 50th anniversary celebration week of the iconic Wankhede Stadium and as an opening batter, I could not miss the start. I extend my heartfelt wishes to the MCA and express my profound gratitude for the opportunities they provided me from my school days. I owe my success to the support and encouragement I received from the MCA,” he stated.
The felicitation event was held in the presence of MCA President Shri Ajinkya Naik, along with MCA Vice President Shri Sanjay Naik, Secretary Shri Abhay Hadap, Treasurer Shri Arman Mallick, Joint Secretary Deepak Patil, and former President Shri Vijay Patil. A number of cricketing legends attended, including Sanjay Manjrekar, Wasim Jaffer, Raju Kulkarni, Chandrakant Pandit, Lalchand Rajput, Shobha Pandit, and Arundhati Ghosh, all of whom have made significant contributions to the esteemed history of Mumbai cricket. The Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM) was also honored for its ongoing support and contributions to the city’s cricketing heritage.
As a part of the week-long festivities, two thrilling cricket matches were played, with teams representing the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM), Consul Generals, and IAS Officers. In the first match, MCA triumphed over the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai by five runs, while in the second match, the IAS Officers Team emerged victorious against the Consul Generals Team by 20 runs.
Speaking on the occasion, MCA President Shri Ajinkya Naik said: “Wankhede Stadium’s 50th anniversary is a special occasion for us. Today was the start of the grand celebration and 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.”
The 50th anniversary celebrations will extend throughout the week. The MCA will honor the groundsmen of its clubs and grounds and host the Polly Umrigar Health Camp along with a special lunch for them on January 15. This will be followed by a ceremony to recognize the members of the Mumbai team that played the inaugural first-class match at Wankhede Stadium in 1974.