Rohit Sharma Honoured with Stand in His Name at Wankhede, Delivers Heartfelt Speech

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Rohit Sharma received a prestigious tribute on Friday, May 16, as the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) unveiled a stand named after him at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.

The grand unveiling ceremony also marked the inauguration of the Sharad Pawar and Ajit Wadekar stands and was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who shared the stage with Rohit's parents during the official dedication.

The Indian captain's wife and family were present to witness this emotional milestone in Rohit's cricketing journey. The ceremony marked the public debut of the 'Rohit Sharma Stand', placing him in the company of Mumbai's cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Vinoo Mankad, and Dilip Vengsarkar, who also have stands named after them at the same venue.

In his emotional speech, Rohit reflected on the honour of being celebrated at a venue he considers deeply special.

"Firstly I would like to thank everyone who has come here to make this event so special. What is going to happen today, I never dreamt of it. As a kid growing up, wanting to play for Mumbai, for India, no one thinks about things like these," Rohit said.

He continued, "For me, it's like any other sportsman who wants to give their best. Serve the nation, the country as much as possible. While doing that you try and achieve a lot of things... something like this is really special. Wankhede is such an iconic stadium, there are so many memories here."

"To have my name amongst the greats of the game and the world's top political leaders, I cannot express what the feelings are. For that I am really really grateful... For me to be honored, while I am playing makes it special," he added.

Rohit is set to take the field in front of the new stand for the first time on May 21, when Mumbai Indians face Delhi Capitals in their final IPL 2025 home game. However, an ODI appearance for India at Wankhede will have to wait, as no matches are currently scheduled at the venue for the 2024-25 season.