An honour and a privilege, says a proud Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri, the former India captain, urged young Mumbai players to embrace the grind and uphold the city’s rich cricketing legacy after the Ravi Shastri Stand was unveiled at the Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday.

“It’s an honour. It’s a privilege to get it on the ground,” Shastri said moments after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the stand on the north side of the stadium. Shastri’s family, including his 86-year-old mother Lakshmi, were in attendance.

While listing the illustrious names already associated with the venue, Shastri spoke of the standards expected of Mumbai cricketers. “When you look at the names there (for various stands) — (Sachin) Tendulkar, (Dilip) Vengsarkar, (Sunil) Gavaskar, (Rohit) Sharma, and then, of course, the Gates. It’s an association that is rich in tradition. And above all, winners. They win more than anybody else,” Shastri said.