Wankhede stadium turns 50: Dhoni’s six, Tendulkar’s dressing-room question, Vengsarkar’s tears, and the origin story | Cricket News

‘Bus dekh raha hoon ke agar aaj mein khelta toh kahan chakka maroon?’ Former Indian batsman Vinod Kambli says as he walked into the Wankhede stadium he was wondering where he would hit a six if he were playing now. Kambli was one of the many legendary Mumbai players assembled for the ceremony to felicitate former Mumbai captains. Kambli incidentally had just returned after being in hospital for multiple complications. The iconic Wankhede Stadium turns 50 this 19th January, 2025. The tribute to the captains of the past is one of many events organised the MCA to celebrate the milestone of the stadium that houses the Indian cricket board headquarters and the venue where India won the 2011 World Cup. The celebrations, set to continue through the week, will end on January 19 with a grand musical night. “The idea was to capture the hory of Wankhede. Lots of hard work from various adminrators to ensure future generations know what Wankhede and Mumbai cricket is all about,” Ajinkya Naik, MCA president, informs the reason for celebrations.
The stadium offers unlimited stories, and it all started with a dispute over ticket dribution. Wankhede Stadium couldn’t have happened if the Bombay Cricket Association (BCA) didn’t have their differences with the Brabourne Stadium owned Cricket Club of India (CCI) which had hosted all international matches till then.
A dispute over ticket dribution hurt a former speaker in Maharashtra assembly Barrer Sheshrao Wankhede. He had asked for extra tickets for an international match to cater his club members but the former Indian batsman Vijay Merchant, who was president of Brabourne Stadium, denied the request. A few months later, the Maharashtra government wanted to host an exhibition game which Brabourne refused. The rejection was the straw that broke the camel’s back as Wankhede decided to build its own stadium.
Former BCCI joint secretary and a veteran retired adminrator Ratnakar Shetty details the events. “He got land sanctioned from the Maharashtra government and incidentally Sharad Pawar was the sports miner then. The association didn’t have money; they relied on generating money through donations. It was then Tata and Garware helped with money. That is why the two ends in Wankhede were named after Tata and Garware. Below there was space, so to get some money, offices were rented out,” Shetty recalled, who played a key role in Wankhede Stadium getting renovated for the 2011 World Cup.
The land was a maidaan used college students and which was allotted to Mumbai University. Shetty explains the architect’s nightmare in building the stadium that was bracketed a railway track on one side and a hockey stadium and residential buildings on the other side. “This Stadium has seen so many iconic moments, not just cricket, but hockey and football games too,” Shetty adds.

Former captain of India women’s team Diana Edulji recalled a day before India played its first Test at this Stadium against West Indies in 1975. Former West Indies captain Clive Llyod had invited Edulji to bowl to him at the nets. “When I began to bowl, he was just pushing the ball here and there. I went and said Clive, please bat normally. He replied, no you can’t take it. I insed because I wanted to improve my game. He said, fine. Next ball he hammered me at long on for six, I realised how ordinary I was,” she narrates.
Former Mumbai captain Milind Rege points out how the old dressing room was at a far dance. During its first Ranji Trophy game in 1974, players had to walk long on a tiled flooring. “One player walked wearing his spikes and he fell down, it made MCA change the dressing room plan then,” says Rege.
For a stadium that began over ticket crisis, it has also evolved in terms of how it accommodated spectators. CS Naik, executive secretary, who has been working in Wankhede since inception, recalled how his job was to oversee the entry of fans.
“Today the ground is much organised. In those days, there were no seat numbers on seats and fans used to sit at the wooden seat benches which could accommodate only 25. I saw how one group entered with dozens of people. One man collected the ticket and went back to bring more people with the same tickets! There was no QR code system then, I ensured all the ‘free’ fans were taken out.”
When India won the 1983 World Cup, the stadium witnessed team photo sessions. In 2007, the T20 World Cup team was felicitated in the ground and the famous 2011 World Cup win of course happened here. When India won the 2024 T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, the team had a victory lap inside the stadium.
There were moments of sorrow too.

Naik says he witnessed the entire stadium weeping when Mumbai lost to Haryana two runs in the famous 1990-91 Ranji Trophy final. “Dilip Vengsarkar cried, so was the crowd. I have never seen men crying but that day the whole stadium cried,” Naik recalls the day.
For some the old stadium was the place where their beloved coaches would gaze from the stands. Former Indian batsman Pravin Amre says he can’t forget the day when he played a Test against England in early 90’s as he spotted Ramakant Acherekar in the stands. His three students – Amre, Sachin Tendulkar, Kambli played a Test game together.
“The old stadium ambience was something different. At one end the coach Achrekar was seated, there was North Stand (once famous as it was occupied maidaan pandits) who would shout out if you played any bad shot. Just above the dressing room, there was a box seated all former greats, who will give a glance or you can hear their murmurs. No place in the world has so many greats at one place,’ Amre says.
Vasant Mohite, a popular groundsman, who handled dressing rooms from Tendulkar to Rohit remembers how the young Tendulkar would enquire about his place to sit. “Sachin would always come and ask where he needed to sit as most of the seats were occupied in the dressing room,” he says. For Mohite, the best day of his life was the six which Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit to see India win the 2011 World Cup final. “Woh six mere sir ke upar se he gaya (flew over my head). It was the best seat to have in the stadium,” he replied.
As Wankhede turns 50, the iconic stadium, still remains the mecca for any Mumbai cricketer.

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