Rohit Sharma Stand Inauguration: Rohit Invites Parents To Unveil The Stand Named After Him

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] May 16: In a heartwarming gesture, Rohit Sharma called up his parents, Mrs. Purnima and Mr. Gurunath Sharma, on the stage to press the button and inaugurate the ‘Rohit Sharma Stand’ at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Friday. The inauguration marked the formal unveiling of a decision taken earlier by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), which had resolved during its AGM to name stands after three distinguished figures: Rohit Sharma, former India captain Ajit Wadekar, and ex-BCCI president Sharad Pawar. As per the resolution, Divecha Pavilion’s Level Three now bears Rohit’s name, while the Grand Stand’s Level 3 and 4 honour Pawar and Wadekar, respectively.

Rohit now joins an illustrious list of Mumbai cricket legends, including Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Vijay Merchant, who have stands named after them at the Wankhede. The stand was named after Rohit to recognise his remarkable journey from a young Mumbai boy to the captain of the Indian national team across all three formats.

“This reflects our deep respect for the pillars of Mumbai cricket and our determination to build an even stronger future,” MCA president Ajinkya Naik had said while announcing the decision earlier this week.

The timing of the inauguration added further significance. Since the announcement, Rohit has ended his Test career; the 38-year-old announced his decision to call time on the longest format last week, while still holding reins as captain during the time of the announcement.

He played In 67 Tests, amassing 4301 runs at an average of 40.58, with 10 centuries and 18 half-centuries to his name. Rohit led India to the final of the ODI World Cup in 2023, and more recently guided them to twin ICC titles the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy in early 2025.

The batter, fondly known as ‘Hitman’, will return to action on Wednesday next week when Mumbai Indians take on the Delhi Capitals at the same venue. The IPL 2025 will resume after a week-long resumption on Saturday, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru facing Kolkata Knight Riders.