Dhoni’s World Cup-winning six over long-on landed into the Mumbai Cricket Associations (MCA) pavilion at the Wankhede Stadium. Renewed interest in finding the match winning ball were resumed recently as it’s been a decade since it was reported missing.
The incident came to light recently, when MS Dhoni announced his retirement from International cricket on August 15. Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Apex Council member Ajinkya Naik had suggested that the seat at Wankhede Stadium should be demarcated and the ball should be found.
Former Indian skipper and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar pitched in and located the ball which Dhoni smashed into MCA’s pavilion.
According to an MCA source, “Gavaskar has informed an MCA Apex Council member that the ball is with a Hong Kong resident who bought it at an ICC auction just after the 2011 World Cup final.”
Recently, the MCA decided to open the Wankhede as a stadium tour experience for fans and tourists. The world-famous cricket and sports venue now be set up as a pit-stop for the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) Ltd.
Maharashtra’s Minister of Tourism and Environment, Aditya Thackery, tweeted on Tuesday,
“We at the Tourism Dept had requested @MumbaiCricAssoc to work with us on opening up the Wankhede Stadium for a stadium experience tour to tourists and fans from around the world. They have agreed in principle to work together on the same.”
The MCA had earlier announced to build a museum to showcase Indian and Mumbai cricket’s rich legacy. The MCA has already announced that it will build a museum to showcase the stadium, where India won the World Cup final in 2011 by beating Sri Lanka, and also showcase Indian and Mumbai cricket’s rich history.
