Cricket Field Named After Sunil Gavaskar In The US, First For An India Sportsperson

Sunil Gavaskar is certainly the biggest name in Indian cricket, and now not only in India, but the name has got recognition in the world’s superpower, the United States of America. Gavaskar inaugurated a cricket field in Louisville in the state of Kentucky, making it the first international sporting facility named after an Indian sportsperson in the country. Gavaskar has been an inspiration for many generations of cricketers, from Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli; he has been an inspiration to all of them.

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Gavaskar played 125 Tests for India in a career spanning 16 years and became the first Test cricketer to cross 10,000 international Test runs. He played at a time when international cricket had some lethal fast bowlers like Malcolm Marshall, Geoff Thompson, Denis Lillie, Joel Garner, Andy Roberts and many more. It doesn’t end here; he faced these hostile fast bowlers with a helmet.

The Sunil Gavaskar field was inaugurated on 15^th October and will serve as the home ground of Louisville Cricket Club which is part of the 42 team Midwest Cricket league. The club built a cricket pitch with the aid of Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer at the Hays Kennedy Park.

Gavaskar said:

 “I am delighted and privileged at the honor,” Gavaskar said in a statement. It’s a unique honour to have a cricket field named after me, especially in a country where cricket is not a premier sport.”

The club later organised a dinner for Gavaskar where Louisville’s mayor Fischer was also present. Fischer presented Gavaskar with a key to the city and said that he expected great rewards from city’s USD 150,000 investment in the fields.

He said:

“We are an increasingly global community, and cricket is already part of our city’s sporting landscape, we hope the investment at Hays Kennedy Park will open the sport to more local participation, and the city to even more global opportunities.”               

The “Sunil M. Gavaskar Cricket field” will attract local Americans to the game and the Indian living nearby.           

Metro Parks and recreation director Seve Ghose said that their long-term plan is to make Louisville a destination for national as well as international level cricket competition.

Ten percent of the funding to build the new fields was raised by Louisville cricket club’s 50 active playing members.