3 days ago
After Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Cricket Association Urged To Pay Tribute To Ravi Shastri: "Surprise And Concern..."
Last month, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) honoured India ODI captain Rohit Sharma, former India skipper Ajit Wadekar and former BCCI President Sharad Pawar. All three stalwarts, who emerged out of Mumbai cricket, had stands named in their honour at the city's iconic Wankhede Stadium. The stadium also has stands named after Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar. However, now the MCA has been urged to pay tribute to another personality - former Indian cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri.
Former Mumbai captain Shishir Hattangadi has written to the MCA, urging them to commemmorate Shastri.
"I must express my surprise and concern at the omission of Ravi Shastri, former India captain, all-rounder, and national coach, from the list of names commemorated at the stadium. His legacy is well known-not just the iconic feat of hitting six sixes in an over in a first-class game, following in the footsteps of Sir Gary Sobers-but also for his impactful career as a player and his significant role in shaping modern Indian cricket as a coach," Hattangadi wrote in his letter, as reported by Times of India.
Shastri is not only a World Cup winner with India in 1983, but also heled shape India's present generation, serving as head coach in the 2010s. In particular, India achieved great success in Test cricket under the combination of Shastri as coach and Virat Kohli as captain.
"This omission, intentional or not, overlooks a major chapter in Mumbai and Indian cricket's story. I do not wish to delve into statistics, as Shastri's legacy is not just in numbers but in the influence he has had on the game-both on and off the field," Hattangadi wrote further in his letter.
"As someone who deeply respects the administration and its role in preserving the sport's heritage, I urge the MCA to re-examine this oversight. A richer understanding of cricket's history and the personalities that shaped it will only strengthen our future," he wrote.
"With warm regards and continued respect. This is an observation and not a political statement," Hattangadi concluded.
Shastri represented India in 80 Tests and 150 ODIs, showing his prowess as a reliable all-rounder across formats. Shastri piled up nearly 7,000 runs and took 280 wickets across the two formats. His most notable achievement on the cricket field was being named the Player of the Series in the 1985 Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket.
