One of the lasting recollections of the historic competition is the magnificent six MS Dhoni hit at the Wankhede Stadium to win India the 2011 ODI World Cup. India finally won the ODI world cup after a 28-year wait when they defeated Sri Lanka in the championship game.
In the storied Wankhede, the Mumbai Cricket Association plans to inscribe MS Dhoni’s name in history. The seat where the game-winning six-pointer landed will soon get the name of the renowned cricketer who made that shot to ensure India’s victory.
The MCA, according to a report, chose to rename the seat after Dhoni on Monday. The organization intends to dedicate the monument during this Saturday’s IPL 2023 match between the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
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The magazine cited MCA president Amol Kale as stating, “The MCA reached a decision today (Monday) to name a seat inside the stadium after MS Dhoni.”
“The location will be where his game-winning six against Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup final landed. We’ll ask MS Dhoni to attend the opening ceremony at the stadium, where he’ll also get a gift, Kale continued.
Ajinkya Naik, a former MCA member, had offered the concept in 2020, but the Apex Council rejected it. Legendary cricketers from India, including Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Vijay Merchant, have stands at Wankhede Stadium named in their honor.
Although naming a seat at a site after an athlete would be a first for India, the practice is rather popular elsewhere.
Grant Elliot, a former New Zealand player, has a seat at Auckland’s Eden Park named after him in recognition of the legendary six he hit off Dale Steyn in 2015 to secure his team’s advancement to their first-ever ODI World Cup final.