The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has paid rich tribute to two of Indian cricket’s most celebrated figures by naming stands at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium after Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble. The decision recognises their immense contribution to Karnataka cricket and their towering impact on the international stage. The move was taken during the tenure of former India pacer Venkatesh Prasad, who shared the dressing room with both legends.
Kumble, India’s highest wicket-taker in both
Tests and ODIs, finished his international career with 953 wickets in 401 matches. A relentless competitor and inspirational leader, he carried Karnataka’s cricketing identity onto the global stage and later captained the national side. Speaking about the honour, Kumble emphasised that the recognition symbolises the collective journey of Karnataka cricket rather than individual glory.
He noted that the state association and its players have grown together, each shaping the other’s success over the course of decades. For him, the tribute is not about a name on a stand but about contributions being permanently acknowledged in a stadium that has witnessed countless historic moments.
"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. It's not really about whose name is on which stand. It's truly special that all the contributions have been recognized and are now permanently etched in the stadium," Kumble was quoted as saying in a media release.
Dravid reflected emotionally on what the Chinnaswamy Stadium means to him. India’s second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket after Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid amassed 24,064 international runs in 504 appearances, including 48 centuries. Known for his resilience and technical excellence, he also led India during a significant phase in its cricketing journey.
Calling the ground his “second home,” Dravid said he had spent more time there than at his own house during his playing days. From moments of immense joy to painful disappointments, the stadium has been central to his life. He expressed deep gratitude to the KSCA and credited the venue for shaping him as both a cricketer and a person. Dravid also shared a heartfelt memory of his father, who introduced him to the game and would bring him to watch matches at the ground during his childhood. Having a stand named after him, he said, would have made his father immensely proud.
"It's been a second home to me, and it's been a place where, as Anil said, we probably spent more time here than we have spent in our houses. It's been a place of great happiness, sometimes great disappointment as well, but a place that has truly given me everything I am today. I can never be more grateful for what the KSCA and this great ground and this iconic ground have given me in my life," Dravid said at the event.
Former India women’s captain Shantha Rangaswamy will also have a stand named after her at the stadium. Rangaswamy, the first Indian woman to score a Test century, played a pioneering role in the growth of women’s cricket in the country. In 16 Tests and 19 ODIs between 1976 and 1991, she scored 1,037 runs, including one hundred and seven fifties. Her recognition marks an important step in acknowledging the contributions of women cricketers to Karnataka and Indian cricket.
