The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) has officially confirmed its plan to install a life-size statue of former India cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The decision to do the same was taken at the MCA’s apex meeting, which was held on October 08. Dilip Vengsarkar has been one of the well-known figures in Indian cricket. Throughout his career, Vengsarkar has played 116 test games and 129 ODIs as well.

In his matches, he scored 6868 runs in the longest format and amassed 3508 runs in ODI cricket. Vengsarkar is the only overseas batter to score three hundreds in successive tests at the Iconic Lords’ Cricket Ground in 1979, 82 and 86. He was also a member of India’s 1983 ODI World Cup-winning team.

Vengsarkar had previously served as the vice-president of the MCA and former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar had a statue of himself revealed in the stadium premises, with Vengsarkar being next. He has also the member of Apex Council of BCCI, representing Indian Cricketers Association.

“The Council has unanimously resolved to install a life-size statue of Dilip Vengsarkar at Wankhede Stadium in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian and Mumbai cricket,” the MCA said in a statement.

The MCA’s president Ajinkya Naik who was present during the announcement of the installation of Vengskarkar’s statue in the MCA’s way of paying tribute to one of the biggest cricketers in the country.

“Honouring Dilip Vengsarkar with a statue at Wankhede is a tribute to one of Mumbai’s greatest cricketing icons, while our support for farmers and maidan clubs underlines MCA’s deep-rooted connection with the community,” said Ajinkya Naik.

Furthermore, the MCA has also decided to set up various academies around the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to better nurture the young talent.

“We are focused on strengthening the cricketing ecosystem from the grassroots. Setting up academies across the MMR and providing ground equipment to maidan clubs will help nurture the next generation of cricketers and ensure they have access to world-class facilities,” said MCA secretary Abhay Hadap.