Dilip Vengsarkar to join Tendulkar and Gavaskar with statue at Wankhede

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has announced that a life-size statue of former India captain and selector Dilip Vengsarkar will be installed at the Wankhede Stadium. The decision was taken during the Apex Council meeting held on Wednesday. Vengsarkar’s statue will be the third to adorn the iconic venue, following those of cricketing greats Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar.

An emotional Vengsarkar expressed his gratitude to the MCA for the honour. “It’s a great moment for me and I have no words to express my feelings. The MCA has given me everything, it made me who I am today,” he said. “I started my cricket journey at the age of 12 and played for several clubs and teams. Mumbai has always provided me with the platform and encouragement throughout my career. My journey is incomplete without my teammates and coaches. I’m deeply thankful to the MCA for this recognition.”

Vengsarkar, one of India’s most stylish and consistent batsmen, represented the country in 116 Tests and 129 ODIs, amassing 6,868 and 3,508 runs respectively. A member of India’s historic 1983 World Cup-winning squad, he also captained Mumbai in domestic cricket and remains the only overseas batter to score three consecutive centuries at Lord’s, a feat achieved in 1979, 1982, and 1986. He retired from international cricket in 1992 after a distinguished 16-year career.

Beyond his playing days, Vengsarkar served as chairman of selectors, vice-president of the MCA, and a member of the BCCI Apex Council representing the Indian Cricketers’ Association. As a selector, he is credited with spotting and fast-tracking Virat Kohli into the national setup. The MCA had earlier honoured him by naming a stand after him at Wankhede Stadium.

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MCA to install Dilip Vengsarkar’s statue at Wankhede and announce new cricket and relief initiatives

MCA president Ajinkya Naik said the decision to install the statue was part of a broader effort to celebrate cricketing excellence and social responsibility. “Honouring Dilip Vengsarkar with a statue at Wankhede is a tribute to one of Mumbai’s greatest cricketing icons. His contributions, as a player, selector, and administrator, have been immense. He continues to follow grassroots cricket closely and remains passionate about nurturing young talent,” Naik said.

The Apex Council also approved several other initiatives. To strengthen grassroots cricket, the association increased the cricket promotion subsidy for maidan clubs to ₹10,000 per match and will provide essential ground equipment to improve playing conditions. The MCA will also establish cricket academies across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to offer world-class training and infrastructure to budding players.

In a humanitarian gesture, the MCA announced a donation of ₹1 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to aid farmers affected by unseasonal rains across Maharashtra. Mumbai cricketers will contribute an additional ₹25 lakh towards the same cause.

With this tribute, Dilip Vengsarkar joins the pantheon of Mumbai cricket legends immortalized at Wankhede, an enduring reminder of his stellar contributions to Indian cricket both on and off the field.