The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) plans to commemorate MS Dhoni’s iconic World Cup-winning shot by naming the seat where the ball landed after him. The shot, which was a six over long-on at the Wankhede Stadium, helped India secure their first World Cup title in 28 years. The MCA has identified the exact spot where the ball landed in the MCA Pavilion and intends to inaugurate the seat in Dhoni’s honor on April 8. The MCA President, Amol Kale, confirmed that the association would invite Dhoni to the inauguration and present him with a memento.
This proposal was initially put forth in 2020 by the then MCA Apex Council member, Ajinkya Naik, but was not approved by the council at the time. The Wankhede Stadium has stands named after legendary cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Vijay Merchant, as well as the Polly Umrigar and Vinoo Mankad Gates. However, this will be the first instance where a seat is named after a player, not only in the Wankhede but across the entire country.
Similar initiatives have been implemented in cricket stadiums outside India. In 1993, the Melbourne Cricket Ground named a seat in the Great Southern Stand after Simon O’Donnell, who hit a 122-meter six for Victoria over New South Wales. In 2018, the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne painted a third-tier seat red in honor of Brad Hodge, who hit a 96-meter six for the Melbourne Renegades in his last match before retiring.
