Twelve years in the past, MS Dhoni sealed India’s World Cup victory with a six over long-on on the Wankhede Stadium, ending the nation’s 28-year anticipate the title. Now, the seat on which the ball landed has develop into immortal.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has determined to call the seat after the previous Indian skipper, who powered India previous the end line within the remaining towards Sri Lanka along with his trademark helicopter shot off Nuwan Kulasekara. The ball fell into the MCA pavilion.
MCA president Amol Kale advised The Indian Express that the spot the place the ball fell has been recognized and a everlasting seat will probably be named after Dhoni very quickly. “MCA took a choice in the present day (Monday) to call a seat contained in the stadium after MS Dhoni. The venue could be the place his match-winning six towards Sri Lanka within the remaining of the 2011 World Cup was hit. We will request MS Dhoni to come back to the stadium for the inauguration, the place he may also be introduced with a memento,” Kale mentioned.
The MCA is predicted to inaugurate the ‘memorial’ when Chennai Super Kings (CSK) journey to Mumbai for his or her IPL match on the Wankhede Stadium on April 8. In 2020, the identical concept was proposed by MCA Apex Council member Ajinkya Naik. However, it was not then handed by the council.
Apart from the Polly Umrigar and Vinoo Mankad gates, there are stands named after Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Merchant on the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
This would be the first time that there will probably be a seat within the identify of a participant not solely within the Wankhede Stadium however in all the nation. However, the concept has solely been carried out a couple of occasions outdoors India.
In 1993, on the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a seat within the Great Southern Stand is painted yellow to commemorate Simon O’Donnell’s 122-metre six for Victoria over New South Wales. In 2018, Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium painted the seats within the third tier purple to honor Brad Hodge of Big Bash League franchise Melbourne Renegades, who hit a 96-metre six in his final match earlier than retirement.
Elsewhere, at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand Cricket determined to honor former all-rounder Grand Elliott by naming a seat after him. Elliott hit a six off the bowling of Dale Steyn of South Africa which secured New Zealand’s first World Cup remaining in 2015.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
