Watch: Ravi Shastri Stand unveiled at Wankhede ahead of MI vs RCB IPL 2026 clash

Ahead of the Mumbai Indians’ fourth fixture of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has unveiled the new stand after the former spin all-rounder and head coach, Ravi Shastri, through a special ceremony. 

In terms of Mumbai’s performance in the competition, it has been quite poor as they experienced two successive defeats in the last two encounters against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Delhi Capitals (DC), and now look forward to being back on track against the powerplay defending champions.

Mumbai Cricket Association honours Ravi Shastri with special stand

The Level 1 stand beneath the press box will officially be named the ‘Ravi Shastri Stand’, which displays the immense contributions of the game as a player, captain, and coach. The red curtains were taken out with the firecrackers being burst out amidst the cheer as the stand was named.

 In the same ceremony, gate number three has been named after Dilip Sardesai, while the number five and six gates were named after Diana Edulji and Eknath Solkar.

Watch the video here: 

The former spin all-rounder’s stand has become a talking point among the fans as Shastri recalled his first experience of him coming into the ground.

“The first time I came to the Wankhede Stadium, I was just 12. I took a bus and a train, found my way to the North Stand, and sat there watching cricket. That was 1974. I was a little boy, and I couldn’t stay the whole day. But that’s where it started. Wankhede’s famous North Stand, where the college and school students, along with coaches, sat together.” Shastri said to the Indian Express.

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“The most knowledgeable crowd in the country. That’s where cricket was understood. When my mother heard that the stand would be named after me, no one was prouder. She is a cricket encyclopedia. She watches everything.” He added.

MI set to face RCB in high-voltage IPL 2026 encounter

Mumbai will be keen for a better result and performance from their bowling department. Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult struggled with the new ball in the 11-over side clash against the Royals in Guwahati, but they will face the same challenge against the power-packed Bengaluru side.

Mitchell Santner opted out of the last game due to injury. Allah Ghazanfar, coming into his position, did a good job. But it will be interesting to see the balance of the team for the home clash. Questions will also be raised on whether they keep Deepak Chahar in the playing eleven.