Wankhede Stadium May Have A MS Dhoni ‘Seat’
Aug 18, 2020 at 1:37 PM
MS Dhoni’s gigantic winning six in the grand finale of the World Cup 2011 victory at the iconic Wankhede Stadium is the ever-lasting memory of every Indian fan. To cherish that memory forever, Mumbai Cricket Association(MCA) is looking to name an MS Dhoni seat in the stand where his famous World Cup-winning six had landed.
The video of that six went viral all over Social Media after MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket. The former Indian captain through an Instagram post informed the cricket world that he has decided to hang his boots. He shared an emotional video clip that had all the fond memories of him during his journey.
As reported in The Indian Express, MCA apex council member Ajinkya Naik on Monday wrote a letter to the association where he proposed to find out the area in the Wankhede Stadium where that World Cup-winning six landed. That seat in the stand would be named on MS Dhoni.
“As an act of gratitude and tribute to Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s immense contribution to Indian cricket, the MCA can devote a permanent seat on his name at the stand where his famous World Cup-winning six had landed,” read Naik’s letter, which has been accessed by The Indian Express.
“We can find out the area where the ball landed – and which seat it was flying to – after Dhoni smashed it to win the 2011 World Cup.”
MS Dhoni seat would be decorated uniquely:
Naik proposed to decorate the seat in a unique way and make it a tourist attraction. A plaque may also be added on that seat with some special text to honour that moment.
“We can paint and decorate the seat in a unique way to celebrate Dhoni’s association with historical Wankhede Stadium in Indian cricket history,” Naik’s letter said.
“The seat could also be used as a major tourist attraction, like a paid tour of the stadium perhaps. It will allow the fans to relive the most glorious moment in Indian cricket and it will be part of MCA’s heritage. We can have a plaque on that seat with some special text to honour that moment.”
It’s the first time there has been an offer for a specific seat in a stadium, and not an entire stand, to be named after a player in India. So far, the Wankhede Stadium has dedicated a few areas to former players.
There is the Sachin Tendulkar Stand, the Sunil Gavaskar Stand, and Vijay Merchant Stand. There’s also the Polly Umrigar Gate and Vinoo Mankad Gate.