Still wonderful at D Road

Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians players during a practice session ahead of their April 23 IPL 2026 game at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. PIC/ASHISH RAJE

So, plans are afoot for Mumbai to have a new cricket stadium that will hold 100,000 people. Through this, the big demand for tickets for international matches can be met, more spectators can come and watch Indian Premier League (IPL) games, the scramble for tickets will be far less chaotic and fewer cricketers across all levels will moan about not standing a chance to get hold of tickets/passes, especially when it comes to franchise cricket events.

While Wankhede on D Road, Churchgate, has attracted sporadic kudos in terms of fine spectator experience, its current capacity (around 32,200) is not enough to satisfy the needs of a city that is so large and heavy in cricketing passion. Amidst all this talk, we must remember that there is the DY Patil Stadium in Nerul, which has hosted the 2025 women's World Cup final as well as the 2008 and 2010 Indian Premier League finales. So, it's not that the city does not have a stadium with a larger capacity (55,000).

The people who matter say the Wankhede Stadium will stay relevant while the proposed new ground will open possibilities for Mumbai to host finals of big tournaments and IPL games. The stadium hosted the 2018 IPL final.

The Wankhede always had its charm, and that will continue, no matter how extravagant, expansive, and elaborate the new stadium will be. For me, it was most fascinating to walk along the office spaces below the North Stand, heading towards the West Stand and then to the Dr HD Kanga Memorial Library to catch the one-hour morning window of the library during the 1980s. That walk gave you a glimpse of what the ground looked like at the opening where the Fire Brigade was stationed during matches; the sight of Australian team coach Bob Simpson putting his team through fielding drills for the Mumbai Test in 1986 sticking in my mind. A few days later, I sat in the Guest Stand and watched Sunil Gavaskar notch up his 33rd Test century.

The Mumbai Cricket Association has made it increasingly better for the spectator. The museum has provided cricket fans another reason to visit the ground on non-match days. Fans can spend quality time soaking in history at the museum and be part of a guided tour.

Mumbai boasts of three Test centres - the picturesque Bombay Gymkhana, the history-laden Brabourne Stadium, and the modern Wankhede Stadium. Soon, the fourth will be an option, but the administrators must not be in a hurry to shift all cricket to the new ground. To view it practically, there won't be more than 30,000 queuing up to watch a Test (unless it's the final of the World Test Championship featuring India), and secondly, it is geographically convenient. Ranji Trophy matches must be back at the Wankhede, and pitches should open up a fair bat versus ball contest. The Churchgate ground also lends itself to comfortable viewing for the public.

All of Mumbai's three Test venues have been impressive to touring teams, although I am aware that members of the 1969-70 Australian team found the Cricket Club of India unhygienic to stay in. Ken Barrington, the late England batsman and coach, did not just love the Brabourne Stadium because he scored 203 runs there without getting out in both innings of the 1961-62 Test. He once said the uniqueness of the ground lay in the fact that he once woke up at dawn, looked out of his window only to see ground staff working on the turf. And when play was done for the day, out came the wooden dance floor for players to unwind.

In a message that was published in the MCA's Golden Jubilee souvenir, Barrington wrote in 1980: "Wankhede is now one of the great cricket grounds of the world for wherever cricket is played in Bombay, there is a very special sense of history and immense public interest. Inevitably, in such surroundings, players of the highest stature must arise." They did. Starting with Clive Lloyd's double century in the inaugural Test, which gave West Indies the 3-2 win in an absorbing series. Enduring crowd favourite Sunil Gavaskar rose to occasions, carving centuries in 1976-77 against New Zealand and England, a double century against West Indies in 1978-79, and hundreds against the Australians in 1979-80 and 1986-87. The century against Glenn Turner's New Zealanders in 1976-77 was Gavaskar's first Test century on home soil and so will always be special in his book. Ian Botham's all-round show in 1980 decorated the Golden Jubilee Test while Kevin Pietersen's 186 in 2012-13 must rank high among the finest knocks by overseas batsmen at Wankhede. And of course, Ajaz Patel's 10-119 for New Zealand in 2021-22 is entrenched in history books. What also shouldn't be forgotten is Mohammed Azharuddin's side completing a 3-0 whitewash over England in 1992-93 here.

Like they say for cricketers, there is still a lot of Test cricket left in the iconic venue. The new ground could well have an impressive capacity, but Wankhede Stadium is the heart and soul of Mumbai cricket, and that won't change.

mid-day's Deputy Editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance.
He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper.