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Cricket (Sport)

Sunil Gavaskar Expresses Overwhelming Gratitude at Statue Unveiling at Wankhede Stadium

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has been honored with a statue at the Wankhede Stadium, marking a momentous occasion in his illustrious career. Gavaskar, along with former ICC, BCCI, and MCA president Sharad Pawar, unveiled the statue at the entrance of the Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum. As the legend revealed what memorabilia of his the former India captain gave to the museum, he shared a heartfelt story of his "lucky cap" and the significance of the Dadar Union club in his cricketing journey.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sunil Gavaskar donated two of his caps, one worn for Mumbai and the other for Dadar Union, to the Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum.
  • Gavaskar's Dadar Union cap was his "lucky cap" worn during India's memorable 59-run win against Australia in Melbourne in 1981, where Kapil Dev bowled a dream spell of five for 28 in 16.4 overs.
  • Playing for the historic Dadar Union club taught Gavaskar that "the game is bigger than the individual" and that "you don't take it for granted."
  • Gavaskar's favorite part of the MCA Cricket Museum is some of the "India blazers" on display, which showcase the evolution of the Indian cricket team's logo over time.
  • Gavaskar expressed his heart-felt gratitude at the MCA's gesture of installing his statue at the Wankhede Stadium, calling the association his "mother" that held his hand from the beginning of his cricketing career.
  • The MCA Cricket Museum is scheduled to open for public on September 22.

Statistics:

  • Gavaskar's milestone of being the first cricketer to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket was achieved against Pakistan at Ahmedabad in 1987.
  • The MCA Cricket Museum was inaugurated in a glittering function at the Wankhede Stadium, attended by former ICC, BCCI, and MCA president Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Advocate Ashish Shelar, and other MCA office bearers.
  • The museum took only six months to complete, in contrast to the four years taken by the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association to build their own museum.

Sources:

  • "The MCA cricket museum has a special section on Gavaskar and all the other greats of Mumbai and Indian cricket."
  • Times Content Management: "For Reprint Rights: timescontent.com"
  • Former Union Minister, former ICC, BCCI and MCA President Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Advocate Ashish Shelar and the other MCA office bearers were present on the occasion.

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