Under Venkatesh Prasad’s leadership, the Karnataka State Cricket Association has chosen to honor former India captains Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble by naming two stands at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after them.
Kumble is the highest Indian wicket-taker in both Tests and One-Day Internationals, and Dravid is still the country’s second-highest Test run scorer, behind Sachin Tendulkar.
“I don’t think it would be out of turn to state that all our contributions have made Karnataka cricket what it is, just as Karnataka cricket is what has made all of us. It’s not really about whose name is on which stand. It’s truly special that all the contributions have been recognized and are now permanently etched in the stadium,” Kumble was quoted as saying in a media release.
Kumble was particularly pleased that Dravid and Shantha Rangaswamy, the former captain of the women’s national team, were honored with stands named after them.
“It’s really nice that my cricketing colleague Rahul Dravid and Shantha Rangaswamy also being recognized for their massive contributions to Karnataka and Indian cricket. Congratulations to all of you,” he said.
“To see the stands named after so many of our legends, some who I had the privilege of playing with and others who set the tone and example for us to follow at KSCA, is so just wonderful.”
Dravid said, “…It’s been a second home to me, and it’s been a place where, as Anil said, we probably spent more time here than we have spent in our houses. It’s been a place of great happiness, sometimes great disappointments as well, but a place that has truly given me everything that I am today. I can never be more grateful for what the KSCA and this great ground and this iconic ground have given me in my life…”
