In a ceremony at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, Indian cricketing legend Rohit Sharma witnessed a childhood dream come true as a stand was officially named in his honour. The emotional unveiling saw the former Indian skipper escorted his parents and wife, Ritika, down from the stage so they could be by his side for the special moment.
The event, organised by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), featured Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who joined Rohit’s parents, Purnima and Gurunath, in pressing the ceremonial buzzer that set off a cascade of fireworks to mark the inauguration of the “Rohit Sharma Stand.” Ritika, visibly emotional, tried to hide behind her father-in-law as tears welled up in her eyes — but the crowd noticed, making it all the more heartwarming.
Rohit, who has retired from T20Is and Test cricket but continues to play ODIs, was visibly overwhelmed. He choked several times during his speech, reflecting on his journey and the sacrifices his family made to help him succeed.
“It’s going to be even more special, to have my family here, parents, brother, wife. I am grateful and thankful for whatever they have sacrificed for me,” Rohit said.
#WATCH | Mumbai | Rohit Sharma stands unveiled at Wankhede stadium. Indian ODI men's cricket team captain Rohit Sharma and his family, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar, and others, are also present.
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2025
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is formally… pic.twitter.com/K39kSfRkCY
For Rohit, being honoured at Wankhede — the stadium where his cricketing dreams began — was more than just a personal milestone. “As a kid growing up, I wanted to play for Mumbai, for India. For me to have my name amongst the greats of the game, I cannot express it in words,” he said.
The MCA also honoured former India captain Ajit Wadekar and ex-BCCI president Sharad Pawar with stands named after them.
Rohit expressed a heartfelt wish to play an ODI at Wankhede and said it would be surreal to play on April 21 for the Mumbai Indians with a stand bearing his name. “You try to achieve a lot of milestones, but something like this is really special.”
Chief Minister Fadnavis lauded Rohit as “our iconic batter” and announced that the state would allocate land for a new stadium if the MCA sends a proposal.
Later, teammate and India star Suryakumar Yadav posted an emotional tribute on Instagram. “Very rarely comes a leader who changes not just the game, but the approach, the dressing room atmosphere, and the team. Wankhede just got even more iconic.”
As the ceremony concluded, Rohit, always the team man, joked, “My special team MI is also here, waiting for my speech to be over and start training,” returning his focus to the ongoing IPL season.