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Indian skipper Rohit Sharma expressed delight with the unveiling of a stand named after him at the Wankhede Stadium, saying that he cannot express the feeling of having his name amongst the greats in words, and playing at the venue while representing Mumbai Indians (MI) and the country would become more "surreal".
The 'Hitman' joined a list of icons having a stand named after them at Wankhede, namely Sachin Tendulkar, Vijay Merchant and Sunil Gavaskar as a stand named after him was unveiled on Friday in the presence of his family, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Ajinkya Naik and NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar. Speaking at the event, Rohit said, "What is happening today, I had never dreamt of. As a kid growing up, I wanted to play for Mumbai, for India. No one thinks of this. For me to have my name amongst the greats of the game, I cannot express it in words. This is also special as I am still playing. I have retired from two formats, but I am still playing one format." "It will be a surreal feeling on 21st (May 21) when I come here and play against Delhi Capitals, representing Mumbai Indians, and to have a stand, it will be a very, very special feeling. It will even get special while representing the country whenever that happens. India plays whichever team here, which will make it even more special. I am grateful to have this big honour in front of so many people, especially my family, my mom and dad, my brother, his wife, and my wife, who is also present here. I am so grateful for whatever they sacrificed for me. I also thank my special team, Mumbai Indians," he added. Rohit is one of the greatest opening batters of all time. In 499 international matches, he has scored 19,700 runs at an average of 42.18, with 49 centuries, 108 fifties, and a best score of 264. He has three double hundreds in ODIs, the most by a batter, and his score of 264 is the highest individual score in ODI history. He has won two ICC Champions Trophy titles and T20 World Cup titles, one each as a captain. He has also captained India across all formats. The 38-year-old recently announced his retirement from Tests ahead of the five-match England tour, which will start India's ICC World Test Championship campaign 2025-27 from June 20 onwards. He amassed 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, with 12 centuries and 18 fifties. His highest score of 212 came during a memorable home series against South Africa in 2019. He finishes as India's 16th-highest run-getter in the longest format. (ANI)
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