Honour at home for legends from Karnataka

Bengaluru: Three game-changers of cricket in the state were honoured by the Karnataka State Cricket Association as it belatedly marked the golden jubilee of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which fell on Nov 22, 2024.For generations of cricketers, the Chinnaswamy Stadium has been where dreams first took shape. It has also been a second home for stalwarts Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Shantha Rangaswamy — all of whom have led both Karnataka and India. As Kumble aptly put it, “From learning to compete to learning to lead, everything began here.”

On Friday, 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.Two pioneering administrators were also recognised: the late C Nagaraj and Capt. Dr K Thimmappaiah, whose names were etched on the M3 and M4 stands, respectively. Notably, in 2024, ten stands had been named after former Karnataka stars — all men.

“I’m very grateful to everyone who supported me in my journey. Having a stand named after me at my home ground is the ultimate recognition. I am humbled,” said an elated Shantha.Congratulating all those honoured, Kumble 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 wonderful. It’s not really about whose name is on which stand.

It’s truly special that all the contributions have been recognised and are now permanently etched in the stadium.”Reflecting on his career, Kumble added that representing Karnataka always held special meaning. “No matter how much one might have played for India, coming back to play for Karnataka meant the world to me, and I know I am speaking for Rahul [Dravid] and for all those from our state, men and women, who have represented the country.”Dravid recalled how his father, Sharad Dravid, first introduced him to cricket at this very venue. "My father loved the game, and he was instrumental in creating that love for the sport that I have. He brought me here to so many games, not only the Test matches, but to the Ranji Trophy as well. I think he would be so proud today to know that his son has an end named after him. What makes me even more proud is that I'm sharing this occasion and this honour with some people whom I truly admire and respect.

"Expressing his gratitude to KSCA, Kumble left a lasting message.“Throughout my career, no one was sure how to classify me. Some called me a medium-pacer, some others referred to me as an inswing bowler, and those who called me a leg-spinner dismissed me as someone who couldn’t turn the ball. All this made me more determined. I hope that when an ambitious young boy or girl, who aspires to play for the state or the country, comes into the stadium and sees my name, they can take heart from the fact that if you are committed and sincere to your craft, there are no heights that cannot be scaled,” said the genial former cricketer with 619 Test and 337 ODI wickets.