How a dispute led to the creation of Wankhede Stadium
From being India's financial and entertainment capital to having hosted some of the iconic cricket matches, Mumbai is a city like no other. In fact, legendary Indian cricketers such as Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar belong to the city. No wonder cricket is quite a popular sport among Mumbaikars. We can’t probably talk about Mumbai’s cricket without mentioning its famous Wankhede Stadium. Actually, there's a fascinating history about how and why the Wankhede Stadium came up in the first place.
The inception of the Wankhede Stadium
Media reports suggest that the Bombay Gymkhana stadium used to hold Test cricket matches prior to World War II. In fact, this venue hosted the first Test match between India and England in 1933-34. However, following World War II, over 17 Test matches were played at the Cricket Club of India (CCI)’s Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Things were fine till this point. In February 1973, a Test match between India and England led to a long dispute about ticket distribution between Cricket Club of India owned Brabourne Stadium and the Bombay Cricket Association(BCA), now called Mumbai Cricket Association.
What happened next marked a historic moment for the city’s cricket history. The disagreement between the two cricket factions enraged Sheshrao Krishnarao Wankhede, a politician and the then secretary of the Bombay Cricket Association to a huge extent. As a result, he decided to sever his ties with the CCI and construct a new cricket stadium for BCA less than a mile away. Shashi Prabhu, a 28-year-old architect, is said to be the man behind the construction of 13.5 acre stadium at Churchgate, Mumbai. If reports are to be believed, the Wankhede Stadum was completed in less than a year at a cost of Rs 1.87 crores. The stadium was left open on three sides and comprised a clubhouse and a stand that could seat 7000 people. Its seating capacity was eventually increased to 45, 000 people.
What changes have taken place at Wankhede Stadium since inception?
As already mentioned, the Wankhede Stadium could earlier accommodate 45,000 people at once. However, following its plans to host the ICC World Cup 2011 Final at Wankhede, renovation work was a must. Hence, the Mumbai Cricket Association decided to add three layers and raise the stadium's height from 16 to 35 metres, which would let it accommodate 47,000 people. Anyway, owing to approval issues from the relevant authorities, the plan's final height was set at 29 metres. Further, the inclusion of bucket seats in the stadium renovation plan decreased the capacity from the expected 47,000 to a mere 33,000.
Cricket milestones at the Wankhede Stadium
Since its opening in 1974, Wankhede, India’s second largest cricket stadium, has hosted many thrilling matches. One among the firsts at Wankhede was the international Test match played between India and West Indies in 1975. Led by one of the cricketing greats of all time, captain Clive Lloyd’s dazzling 242 runs helped West Indies script a 201-run victory over India at Wankhede. Believe it if you would, one of the fans is said to have entered the Wankhede Stadium ground to greet the West Indies captain that day! This incident has been shared by many as a cricket folklore over the decades. Other memorable matches played at this epochal stadium include the 2011 World Cup final, God of Cricket -- Sachin Tendulkar's -- farewell game, and Ravi Shastri's six sixes in an over during a Ranji Trophy game.