‘Forever grateful for this huge honour’

India’s Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma expressed his immense gratitude to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for deciding at its Annual General Meeting to name a stand after him at the Wankhede Stadium.

Tough early days

An emotional Rohit recalled how as a teenager he used to try to enter the Wankhede premises just to catch a glimpse of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy players practising. 

Comparing that moment to this, India’s T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy-winning skipper said he was overwhelmed. “I remember those days when I used to stand outside the Wankhede and try to enter to watch the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team practice. I’m talking about 2003 or 2004. We used to finish our U-14, U-16 training at Azad Maidan and my friends and I would cross the railway tracks and come here to see the Ranji cricketers. I know how tough it was to get inside the Wankhede Stadium back then.

And now, to learn that there will be a stand in the same stadium named after me, it’s an unreal feeling. It’s something I’ve never thought of. I will be forever grateful for this huge honour,” Rohit said during the announcement of the T20 Mumbai League’s third season at a five-star hotel on Friday.

Rohit also recalled how he was trembling while entering the Mumbai team’s dressing room for the first time at Wankhede.  

“It’s not everyone’s cup of tea to come and represent Mumbai. When I [was] selected for Mumbai and I entered the dressing room for the first time, my legs were trembling. There were players like Amol Muzumdar, Wasim Jaffer, Nilesh Kulkarni, Sairaj Bahutule, Ramesh Powar… all sitting there. I was looking around [thinking] where should I sit? Will I get a place or not? These are the cricketers we grew up watching and suddenly, if you see yourself with them, you sure to feel nervous because you don’t know what to do and how to react,” said Rohit, who unveiled the T20 Mumbai League [TTML] trophy and is the event’s brand ambassador.

TTML begins on May 26

The eight-team third season of the TTML will begin on May 26, the MCA announced in Rohit’s presence. Two new teams were also welcomed – Roadway Solutions India Infra Ltd and Royal Edge Sports & Entertainment.

Roadway Solutions secured the operating rights of Team Sobo Mumbai Falcons for R82 crore, while Royal Edge Sports acquired the team representing Mumbai South Central region for Rs 57 crore.

The TTML held its first two editions in 2018 and 2019 and as it resumes after six years, Rohit is hopeful that many city players will benefit from this platform. “Mumbai has a rich cricketing legacy, and we’ve seen some incredible players emerge from here. It’s great to see the league return and I’m excited to be a part of it.

I would encourage every youngster to grab this opportunity. I’m confident the third season will be a memorable experience — not just for the players, but for the fans as well,” added Rohit, 37, who has 67 Tests, 273 ODIs and 159 T20Is apart from 129 first-class games under his belt.