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Mumbai’s affinity for sports particularly cricket is unrivalled by that of any other Indian city. No matter how packed their daily schedules are, Mumbaikars always squeeze in some time for sports and recreation. Office-goers, college students and those who are unable to access televisions find a possible way to update their knowledge with the latest scores of on-going cricket matches. There are some high standard sports stadiums available in the city, which not only attract Indians but also people from throughout the globe to watch interesting cricket matches and other sports activities.
Domestic as well international matches are scheduled and played at Mumbai’s two popular stadiums – Brabourne and Wankhede Stadiums. The elite crowd of Mumbai like that of most big cities worldwide fosters a peculiar interest in derby and horse racing. The beautiful lush green Mahalaxmi Race Course is the place where the city’s affluent crowd gather to have leisurely hours and recreation.
Brabourne Stadium
This cricket ground owned by the Cricket Club of India has a rich and dignified history. Situated at one of the prime locations of South Mumbai, the Brabourne Staidum gets its name from Lord Brabourne on the recommendation of the Maharaja of Patiala and came to function as a full-blown cricket stadium in the year 1937. With a crowd capacity of over 20,000, this stadium has been hosting first-class test matches since from 1948.
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Brabourne Stadium, inaugurated by the former Governor of Bombay- Sir Lawrence Roger Lumley, has been a ground where plenty of international, Indian and Maharashtrian cricket greats shot to fame. It was the ground where Dennis Compton slammed 249 runs in a test-match innings; Ajit Wadekar scored a triple ton in 1966-67 and the place where Mumbai’s favourite cricketer Sachin Tendulkar knocked the first double century of his glorious career in the year 1997-98.
Wankhede Stadium
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Wankhede Stadium situated at Mumbai’s Churchgate area is one of the most popular cricket stadiums in the country. Owned by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), Wankhede Stadium is the venue for many domestic and international cricket matches. The stadium is extremely well-constructed and well-maintained. It can accommodate up to 45,000 spectators at a time. Almost all cricketing nations including Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and few others have played on this ground.
Indian cricketing legends like Sunil Gavaskar and Kalicharan have notched up scores of 205 and 187 in the series of 1978-97 respectively. The stadium also rocked to Ravi Shastri’s power-packed performance in 1984-85 in which he slammed six sixes in an over. Vinod Kambli is known to have scored a huge 224 runs at Wankhede Stadium. The mega-final of the upcoming international cricket world cup of 2011 is scheduled to take place at this ground.
Mahalaxmi Race Course
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If you’re actually interested in horse-racing or glaring at Mumbai’s glam brigade, then the beautiful Mahalaxmi Race Course is the right place for you. The finest specimens of magnificent beasts can be seen galloping around at lightning speed to win for their high-profile bidders. Expect to find yourself seated next to an astonishingly good looking actor or model or a hot shot industrialist if you’re lucky enough to get in with an entry pass. Between the months of November and February, the racecourse lights up with splendour and extravaganza, as the city’s and probably country’s best known names descend here for the horse racing season. The Derby- the most sought after event in the calendars of the rich and the famous is held every year on the first Sunday of February.
Azad Maidan
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The famous triangular shaped sports ground Azad Maidan is frequented by the young aspiring cricketers of the city. It is situated in South Mumbai and is a favourite ground for local cricket lovers. It has few pitches which provide plenty of practices to the youngsters to hone their skills and to indulge in their favourite game without an interruption. The seasoned Bombay Gymkhana is situated at the south of this vast ground. Over the years, this ground has been used for many inspirational purposes like national and local protest rallies and meetings.
Azad Maidan has contributed in a big way during India’s freedom struggle when leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and the then prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri instigated feelings of upsurge in the minds of Mumbaikars.
Oval Maidan
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The name of this ground is justified owing to its oval shape. Oval Maidan is host to plenty of sports activities that are held from time to time. Situated in South Mumbai, this recreational ground is used for sporting events like football besides cricket. To its north lies the cricket academy called Elf Cricket Academy which belongs to veteran cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar
Cross Maidan
Cross Maidan along with Oval Maidan, Azad Maidan and Cooperage Football Ground forms an area called Esplanade in proper Mumbai. The Esplanade is now called the Mahatma Gandhi Road. Cross Maidan is used by football and cricket enthusiasts to play football during the monsoons and cricket during the dry times of the year. To the south of this ground is a national level football club called the Mahindra United Club and this ground is also used for holding fairs and festivals.
Shivaji Park
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The cradle of Indian cricket and the place where most of Mumbai’s recognised cricketers have literally grown up is Shivaji Park. This large and smart looking ground is situated at Dadar in Mumbai and has been housing numerous cricket academies belonging to the late Anna Vaidya and Ramakant Achrekar. Stars from the game of cricket like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Ajit Agarkar, Pravin Amre, Vinod Kambli and Sanjay Manjrekar attribute a huge portion of their success to the opportunities this ground has provided them through their learning process. This ground also has a lot of historical importance attached to it. The ground was venue for numerous political rallies and protests which held during pre and post independence era.
Some other famous sports arenas in Mumbai include the Gymkhana Ground, Marine Lines Ground, Middle Income Group Ground, Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilisers Company Ground and Vengsarkar Cricket Academy Ground, Willingdon Sports Club and Bombay Presidency Golf Club.
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