Gavaskar has become the first Indian to have a cricket ground named after him in England.
On Saturday (July 23), a cricket ground in England’s Leicester will be dedicated in the honor of legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar.
Gavaskar, who is considered one of the game’s all-time greats, set and broke numerous records while playing and his legacy has grown as he becomes the first person from his country to have a ground named after him in England.
The former India captain expressed his gratitude for the honor and assured to be present at the venue to unveil his name plaque on the ground.
“I am delighted and honored that a ground in Leicester is being named after me. Leicester is a city with possibly the strongest supporters of the game, especially Indian cricket, and therefore it is a huge honor indeed,” he told The Times of India.
According to TOI, the initiative was taken by UK MP Keith Vaz, who is of Indian descent and has been serving Leicester in the legislature for more than three decades.
“We are thrilled and honored that Gavaskar has agreed to have this pitch and ground named after him,” Vaz was quoted as saying by the daily.
The former cricketer, according to Vaz, is not simply the “Little Master”; he is a great master of the game.
“He is a living legend and over the years, has delighted Indians and other lovers of cricket with his record-breaking performances. To us, he is not just the ‘Little Master’, he is a great master of the game. Nothing delights the Indian population of Leicester more than when an all-time great visits us. There is now a part of Britain that is forever Gavaskar,” he added.
The five-acre field is owned by Bharat Sports and Cricket Club, and one of the pavilion walls has already been painted with a huge portrait of the 73-year-old.
Gavaskar in his playing days faced off against some of the best fast bowlers ever, and that too without a proper helmet, and still averaged over 50 (51.12), is a testimony to his genius. He was the first batter in the history of the game to have breached the 10000-run mark in the longest format. In 125 Tests while wearing whites, he amassed 10122 runs which included a record at the time, 34 centuries.
In ODIs too, he left a mark having scored 3092 runs in 108 games.
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