The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is the home to record Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians. The Rohit Sharma-led franchise finished with a wooden spoon in the previous edition of the lucrative tournament, owing to a new-look side. But the franchise has shown resilience to come back stronger and win matches on the trot in IPL 2023 after losing the first two matches.
Mumbai Indians lost their first match at home against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets. But won the second match at the Wankhede Stadium against Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets. Their next fixtures at home are against Punjab Kings (April 22), Rajasthan Royals (April 30), Royal Challengers Bangalore (May 9), Gujarat Titans (May 12) and SunRisers Hyderabad (May 21).
History of the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
The Wankhede stadium was established in 1974, and the first Test match at the venue was played between India and the West Indies in January 1975. It is relatively younger than grounds like Cheapuk, Eden Gardens and Arun Jaitely Stadium. The BCCI, IPL and MCA headquarters are situated on the stadium premises. The stadium was redeveloped for the 2011 World Cup to avail modern facilities. Since then, the seating capacity of the iconic stadium is upgraded to 33,108.
The stadium has hosted many high-profile matches, including the 2011 World Cup final and batting legend Sachin Tendulkar’s last international match. Interestingly, former India coach Ravi Shastri hit six sixes in an over during a domestic match at this venue. The stands at the stadium are named after Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Vijay Merchant and Vitthal Divecha.
T20 Records and Stats at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
The bowling ends at the Wankhede Stadium are Tata End and Garware Pavillion End. Sudhir Naik is the chief pitch curator of the iconic venue. The true Wankhede Stadium wicket offers help to both fast bowlers and spinners. Interestingly, its close proximity to the Arabian Sea helps the swing bowlers. In Test matches, the pitch turns into a rank turner in the last two days. However, as the innings progress, batters find themselves at ease. For T20 cricket, the venue is subtle and provides great entertainment.
- Total matches: 9
- Wins batting first: 4
- Wins bowling first: 5
- Avg 1st innings score: 185
- Avg 2nd innings score: 174
- Highest score chased: 230
- Lowest total defended: 143
