KSCA renames two stands at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium after Dravid, Kumble and Rangaswamy

The Karnataka State Cricket Association renamed two stands of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium after India greats Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Shantha Rangaswamy as part of the stadium’s 50-year celebrations, honouring their contributions to Karnataka and Indian cricket

The ceremony was attended by the trio, who had all captained India and had represented Karnataka in domestic cricket, playing their home matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium over the course of their career

The northern and pavilion ends of the stadium were formally christened the Rahul Dravid End and Anil Kumble End, respectively

Meanwhile, a long-pending demand of cricket aficionados was fulfilled with the B Lower Stand being named after Shantha Rangaswamy. Nearly five decades ago, she had marked that very stand with a six - the first by a woman at the venue

Dravid said the recognition would mean a great deal to his family and noted that his father had introduced him to the game and had brought him to the venue for numerous matches, including Test fixtures and Ranji Trophy games.

He further stated that sharing the occasion with Kumble and Rangaswamy was special, and acknowledged that Rangaswamy had made a significant contribution to women’s cricket at a time when opportunities for women in sport were limited

In a media release, Kumble stated that it would not have been out of place to say that their contributions had shaped Karnataka cricket just as Karnataka cricket had shaped their careers, and added that the honour was about collective recognition rather than individual placement of names on specific stands

Kumble also expressed happiness that Dravid and Rangaswamy had been similarly honoured, stating that it was wonderful to see stands named after several legends of Karnataka cricket, including former teammates and predecessors who had set benchmarks for future generations at the association.