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Around 50 years ago, former Mumbai and India captain Ravi Shastri visited the Wankhede Stadium for the first time. And half-a-century later, the stylish all-rounder got nostalgic when Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the Ravi Shastri Stand at the ground on Thursday.
Shastri, 63, who played 80 Tests and 150 ODIs, shared many of his Wankhede memories, including the Ranji Trophy final triumphs vs Delhi and Bengal in 1984-85 and 1993-94 respectively. But before all that, he revealed how he also witnessed the first Test at this very ground. “My first trip here [at Wankhede] was in 1976, to see a Test vs NZ, where I saw some champions. I saw them while sitting there [North Stand], now the Ravi Shastri Stand. I saw Richard Hadlee, a great fast bowler, going about his job, little knowing that when I make my debut [vs NZ at Wellington in 1981], five years down the line, he will be the one bowling at me,” Shastri said while addressing the gathering on Thursday.
Ravi Shastri (left), Suryakumar Yadav, and Diana Edulji at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday
Shastri’s Mumbai and India teammates Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar, India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav, and ex-India women’s team skipper Diana Edulji were also on the dias along with Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Ajinkya Naik.
Shastri got a tad emotional, recalling his late father. “Coming to this [Ravi Shastri] stand is an honour. It’s a privilege to get this. To my family that’s present here, without their support, I don’t think I would have made it. I’m glad everyone’s present. Only one disappointment, my father, my hero, he’s not here, but he used to watch almost every game from the Garware Pavilion. He’ll be upstairs, he’ll be proud that this has happened,” added Shastri. The MCA also honoured former India players Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar, and Edulji by naming three gates at Wankhede after them.
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