Mumbai:
Rohit Sharma is overwhelmed after the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has approved the decision to change the name of Divecha Pavilion Level 3 to ‘Rohit Sharma Stand’. The Indian captain said that he had never dreamed of honor at this level. Rohit has been a veteran of Mumbai cricket and has successfully captained India in winning the ICC Trophy continuously with the T20 World Cup 2024 and the Champions Trophy 2025 wins. Rohit was made the brand ambassador of the T20 Mumbai League, which was launched on Friday. The 2025 edition of the Mumbai Premier League is scheduled to begin on May 26.
Speaking at a press conference on being declared as the brand ambassador of MPL, Rohit said, ‘When I started playing cricket, I never had such a dream. I remember the days when I wanted to see the players of the Mumbai Ranji team playing. After under-16 training at Azad Maidan in 2003-04, we used to go on track to watch Mumbai Ranji players. Those were the days when I played my first match. And now it is a different experience to experience that. Since then I have a lot of memories in the stadium.
He said, ‘After giving a new look to the stadium, we won the World Cup. A lot of memorable matches were played there and now it is unrealistic to sit and think about a stand in his name. I can’t imagine. This will be an emotional moment. I am grateful for such respect. When you start playing, you don’t know how long you will play. Now being able to enter the stadium and now it is emotional to have a stand in my name.
Rohit has represented India since the beginning of 2007 and was part of the 2007 T20 World Cup winning team in the World Cup. He has represented the country in 159 T20 matches, 273 ODIs and 67 Tests. Last year, he retired from his T20 career after winning the World Cup in Barbados. Conducted by MCA, T20 Mumbai League is one of India’s major domestic franchise-based T20 tournaments. Since its debut in 2018, the League has worked as a launchpad for the budding talent. In this, players like Shivam Dubey, Tushar Deshpande and Shams Mulani are making significant progress in their career after impressive performance in the last season.
Rohit said, ‘This initiative was a big platform for the players. In the last two seasons, some players played for IPL teams and some are now playing for India. Many good cricketers do not have the right platform in India. Mumbai cricket is giving opportunity to many players, who do not get a chance in Ranji. This tournament will draw people attention, and many people will see it. There is an easy chance to play for IPL through this tournament.