By
K.R. Nayar
From Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Mumbai
has a special place in the history of cricket. It is not just a city with the
historic Wankhede Stadium, which has staged some of the greatest matches and
tournaments in the game. It is also the home of the Mumbai Cricket Association,
a body that stands tall among other domestic cricket associations mainly due to
its achievements over the years. Mumbai has won the prestigious Ranji Trophy 42
times. Which means, it has many special dates and priceless possessions from
its feats over the years.
 |
| Sunil Gavaskar in front of his statute |
August
23, 2025, will be remembered as a special day in this association’s history. On
this day was inaugurated the Sharad Pawar Mumbai Cricket Museum (MCA), which is
set to enthral cricket fans with its contents—ranging from the evolution of
cricket bats to bags, kits, and blazers worn by great cricketers, many of whom
are products of this association. The icing on the cake was the association’s
decision to place a life-size statue of Sunil Gavaskar at the entrance to the
museum.
 |
| The moment the Gavaskar statue was unveiled |
For
someone like me, who has idolised this legend not only for his cricketing deeds
but also as a writer and commentator, witnessing this will remain a great
moment and experience in my professional
journey.
 |
| The invitation from Ajinkya Naik, President of the MCA to attend the opening of the museum |
Any
visitor who walks into a cricket museum looks for learning experiences from the
exhibits showcased there. Hence, starting off with the statue of a cricketer
like Gavaskar at the entrance—who showed the way not only to Mumbai players but
also to Indian cricketers to achieve world acclaim—is a great idea. What makes
the statue more attractive is that it depicts the moment he
celebrated becoming the first batter to cross the 10,000-run mark in world
cricket. Many have crossed that mark since, but to have his statue in front of
his home association’s museum is a great recognition of this legend’s
achievement.
 |
| Ajinkya Naik, President of the MCA receives Sunil Gavaskar for the opening |
Addressing
the huge gathering seated in a makeshift hall at the entrance to the museum,
Gavaskar, known for his eloquence as a commentator and speaker, said: “I am at
a loss of words and overwhelmed by this honour. It doesn’t happen to everybody
that there is a statue just outside the museum where there is going to be so
much of a footfall.” This was followed by a moving line that would make anyone
who has followed and written about Mumbai cricket emotional, when Gavaskar
said: “Mumbai is like my mother. She held my hand when I was beginning cricket
at the school level, playing for Mumbai.”
 |
| Sunil Gavaskar addresses the gathering |
The
museum has been named after Sharad Pawar, who rose from Mumbai to become one of
the world’s top cricket administrators. Next to Gavaskar’s statue is Pawar’s
life-size statue. MCA president Ajinkya Naik revealed how Gavaskar’s 10,000-run
milestone was picked as the theme for the statue. “We sent him (Gavaskar) a few
photographs, and he chose this one. It is a big day for MCA as we have managed
to capture this history in one place. A lot of thought has gone into building
this museum. We wanted the next generation to witness our rich history and the
hard work each one has put in,” Naik said in his speech.
 |
| Sunil Gavaskar's son Rohan next to his father's statue |
No
function attended by Gavaskar ends without him narrating an inspiring message.
The museum has a section with a rich collection of books, and Gavaskar said: “I
used to go to the Kanga Library at the CCI North Stand, where I would pick up
books, and I’ve also donated some books in the past. I think I will now donate
some more of the cricket books I have to this library. It doesn’t have to be
the coming generation alone; even the earlier generation can go through some of
the books and biographies.”
 |
| Emcee Prasanna Sant who made the function vibrant through his narration |
The
colourful function began with some great interactions by the renowned emcee
Prasanna Sant, whose narration about Gavaskar being the first man to score
10,000 runs on this planet was extremely captivating. MCA’s decision to honour
former MCA office bearer Prof Ratnakar Shetty and journalist Clayton Murzello of Mid-Day was commendable. Both
were part of the advisory board of the museum.
 |
| Prof Ratnakar Shetty being honoured at the function |
The
museum has a replica of the Mumbai team dressing room with jerseys of their top
players. There are separate sections for Mumbai greats like Dilip Vengsarkar,
Sachin Tendulkar, and Rohit Sharma. There is also a blazer used by Bapu
Nadkarni during the 1962 West Indies tour. Sandeep Patil has donated his 1983
World Cup blazer to the library.
 |
| Journalist Clayton Murzello being honoured during the function |
The
museum spans 8,000 square feet and is a double-storied structure housed next to the Garware
Club House. Fans can enjoy advanced digital experiences, such as taking a photo
with the 2011 World Cup Indian team, and visit an audio-visual room that can
seat 25 people. There is a section that display all 12 Mumbai cricketers who
went on to captain India, along with another section dedicated to unsung heroes
who performed brilliantly for Mumbai but could not play for India.
 |
| Sunil Gavaskar cuts the ribbon to inaugurate the museum |
Not
to forget the great contributions by women cricketers, there is also a section
with items donated by former Indian women’s team captain Diana Eduljee, who was
present at the function. To make the museum visit more exciting, there is a
quiz room dedicated to test the knowledge of the visiting fans. |
| The Dilip Vengsarkar section at the museum |
 |
The Sachin Tendulkar section at the museum
|
 |
| Signing off: Sunil Gavaskar writes in the museum's guest book |
Comments
Post a Comment