India’s iconic cricketing venue, Wankhede Stadium, turns 50 on January 19, and to mark the historic occasion, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is celebrating it in grand style, leaving no stone unturned. From the biggest cricketing stars gracing the event to mesmerising performances capped by a laser show, the celebrations promise to be unforgettable.
However, this is just the climax of a movie that began a week ago. Yes, Wankhede’s Golden Jubilee has been a week-long affair that started on 12th January with a felicitation ceremony, honouring the men’s and women’s captains of the Mumbai team.
Later, on the 15th, the MCA felicitated members of the Mumbai team that played the first first-class match at the Wankhede Stadium in 1974, rewarding them with ₹10 lakh each. This powerhouse team included the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Farokh Engineer, Karsan Ghavri, Ajit Pai, Padmalkar Shivalkar, Milind Rege, Abdul Ismail, and Rakesh Tandon. During the ceremony, five of the aforementioned legends—Ghavri, Pai, Shivalkar (who attended in a wheelchair), Rege, and Ismail—were present to receive their commendations from the MCA.
Earlier in the day, the association took time to felicitate grassroots workers, groundsmen, and pitch curators. They also organised the Polly Umrigar Health Camp and a special lunch for them.
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The MCA are all geared up for the grand evening, with the stadium lit up from all corners. Former Mumbai players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Diana Edulji, alongside India’s current captains, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, are expected to attend the grand event to witness performances by musicians, Ajay-Atul and Avadhoot Gupte. The event will culminate with a laser show.
Wankhede Stadium was built under the initiative of its namesake, S. K. Wankhede, in 1974. The 45,000-capacity stadium was constructed following a dispute between the Cricket Club of India (whose ground is the Brabourne Stadium) and the Bombay Cricket Association (now MCA), who later built the stadium no more than a mile away.
The stadium hosted its first Test in the 1974-75 season when the West Indies toured India. Since then, it has been a home to countless cherished memories—from Ravi Shastri’s six sixes in an over during a Ranji game in the 1984-85 season, to MS Dhoni’s World Cup-clinching six in 2011; from Sachin Tendulkar playing his last international game for India to Virat Kohli breaking his record to reach the milestone of 50 centuries in one-day cricket.
Also Read: 50 years of Wankhede Stadium: MCA honours Class of ‘74 along with its groundsmen
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