India Test and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma will be awarded a stand in his name at the historic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The decision was approved by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) in its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday evening.

In addition to Rohit, the MCA will also be dedicating stands to former India captain Ajit Wadekar and veteran politician and ex-cricket administrator Sharad Pawar.

Stands Named After Mumbai Cricket Icons

The MCA has finalised the following designations at Wankhede Stadium:

Divecha Pavilion Level 3 will be named after Rohit Sharma.
Grand Stand Level 4 will be named after the late Ajit Wadekar.
Grand Stand Level 3 will be named after Sharad Pawar.

These stands and this lounge will forever reverberate the legacy of those who constructed the cricketing spirit of Mumbai — brick by brick, run by run,” declared MCA President Ajinkya Naik in a statement.

Seasoned administrator Ratnakar Shetty had previously called for the MCA to acknowledge Wadekar’s legacy, who infamously led India to Test series wins in the West Indies and England in 1971.

Rohit Sharma’s Latest Success Spawns Recognition

The choice to dedicate a stand in honor of Rohit Sharma comes after his inspirational leadership success in recent years. With him as captain, India broke its 11-year wait for an ICC title by taking the T20 World Cup title in 2024. Rohit then steered India to Champions Trophy triumph in February 2025.

Even though India went all the way to the 2023 ODI World Cup final, they lost to Australia in the title showdown. Incidentally, Rohit is the lone Mumbai-born cricketer who has led India to win both a T20 World Cup and a Champions Trophy.

Rohit’s Deep Roots in Mumbai Cricket

Rohit Sharma has been affiliated with Mumbai at home cricket since the early stages of his career. He played with the team initially and stayed with the state even in national matches. Early this year, he featured for Mumbai in a Ranji Trophy game against Jammu and Kashmir in a welcome return to home cricket during periods of international work.

After drawing criticism for his performance in the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia that resulted in him missing the last Test in Sydney, Rohit redeemed himself in white-ball cricket. He took India to ODI series victory over England before leading a ruthless, undefeated season in the Champions Trophy, his leadership at the age of 37.
MCA also took substantial financial decisions during the AGM. The corpus for affiliated clubs has been boosted to INR 75 crore, with proposals to further boost it to INR 100 crore. The investment is done to enhance grassroot cricket infrastructure and encourage long-term development across Mumbai.

Today’s decisions demonstrate our profound regard for the cornerstones of Mumbai cricket and our commitment to constructing an even brighter future,” MCA President Ajinkya Naik added.

Commemorating Mumbai’s Cricket Heritage

Wankhede Stadium already commemorates several great Indian cricketers by naming stands after them:

East Stand – Sunil Gavaskar
West Stand – Vijay Merchant
North Stand – Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar

In 2022, the MCA also chose to install a life-size statue of Sachin Tendulkar within the Wankhede Stadium.

By dedicating a stand to Rohit Sharma, the MCA further solidifies his place among the legends of Mumbai cricket, acknowledging his contribution to the state and national teams.