Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with former cricketer Ravi Shastri and his family during the unveiling of the Ravi Shastri Stand at Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai, April 9, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
: For Lakshmi Shastri, the unveiling of the Ravi Shastri Stand at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday (April 9, 2026) was not merely an honour bestowed on her son. It was a full-circle moment — one that brought back memories of train rides, packed stands, and the quiet pride of watching a young boy from Mumbai carve his place in Indian cricket.
“It means a lot to me. I feel so honoured to be present here. I would come to the Wankhade Stadium to watch him play, though I did not watch his six sixes that day (in 1985). And I never ever dreamt that one day I would stand before his stand that has been named after him,” Lakshmi told The Hindu moments after the ceremony, with her daughter-in-law Ritu and granddaughter Alekha patiently waiting for her. “This is with God’s grace, and I do believe Ravi’s devotion, dedication, most important, his self-belief that he will achieve what he dreamt of. So may he go from strength to strength, extremely proud of him.”
Her words carried the weight of decades. An ardent cricket follower since the 1960s, Lakshmi has been pivotal to pushing Ravi to the limits since his formative years. Yet, Thursday’s (April 9, 2026) honour had a special emotional pull, particularly because Dr. Jayadritha Shastri, Ravi’s father and one of his earliest supporters, was not present, having passed away in 2007.
Published – April 10, 2026 02:20 am IST
