The Karnataka State Cricket Association, led by Venkatesh Prasad, has decided to name two stands at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in honour of the legendary duo, Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid.
Kumble holds the record as India’s highest wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs, while Dravid is the second-highest run-getter in Test cricket after Sachin Tendulkar. Both have also served as Indian captains.
“I don’t think it would be out of turn to state that all our contributions have made Karnataka cricket what it is, just as Karnataka cricket is what has made all of us,” Kumble was quoted as saying in a media release.
“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.”
Kumble also expressed joy that Dravid and former women’s national team captain, Shantha Rangaswamy, have been honoured with stands named after them.
“It’s really nice that my cricketing colleague Rahul Dravid and Shantha Rangaswamy also being recognised for their massive contributions to Karnataka and Indian cricket. Congratulations to all of you,” he 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 so just wonderful.”
Cricket To Return At M Chinnaswamy Stadium?
The Karnataka cabinet has approved holding Indian Premier League (IPL) matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, following a recommendation from a government-appointed expert committee. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced that the recommendations of the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Report will be strictly implemented, including norms on ticketing, crowd regulation, and stadium access.
Cricket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has been suspended since June 2025, following a stampede during RCB’s IPL title celebration that resulted in 11 deaths and numerous injuries. Since that incident, high-profile tournaments, such as the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, have been relocated at short notice due to safety concerns.
(With inputs from Agencies)
