Former India cricketer Rahul Dravid got emotional while thanking Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for naming a stand after him at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. He said the gesture was special and added that he is happy cricket will soon return to the iconic venue.
Dravid on being honoured with his longtime teammate Anil Kumble
The KSCA honoured Dravid and his longtime teammate Anil Kumble by dedicating stands in their names as the stadium completed 50 years as an international cricket ground. The clip of Dravid is going viral, where he can be seen emotional while addressing KSCA's decision to honour the legendary batter.
Speaking about the honour, emotional Dravid described it as “great and humbling.” He recalled growing up around the Chinnaswamy Stadium and said it has always been a special place for him. He also shared his excitement about seeing international cricket return to the ground.
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“It’s a great honour. The KSCA is celebrating 50 years of Test cricket, and this has been an iconic stadium. I’m really glad that cricket is hopefully coming back here. We’re looking forward to watching many more matches, and it will be fantastic to see international cricket played here again,” Dravid said.
He added that the recognition means a lot to him because he spent much of his childhood at the venue and feels deeply connected to it.
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The ceremony was led by KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad, as the association recognised both Dravid and Kumble for their outstanding service to Indian and Karnataka cricket.
Dravid and Kumble's contribution to India
Kumble is still India’s highest wicket-taker in both Tests (619 wickets) and ODIs (337 wickets), ending his international career with 953 wickets in total.
Dravid, on the other hand, is India’s third-highest run-scorer across formats, behind Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. He scored 24,064 runs in 504 international matches, including 48 centuries and 145 fifties. Both Dravid and Kumble also had successful stints as captains of the Indian team during their playing days.
Will Chinnaswamy host IPL 2026 matches?
Earlier on Friday, Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy confirmed that the state cabinet has approved for the KSCA to host Indian Premier League matches again. Cricket activities at the stadium had been stopped since June last year after a tragic stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL title celebrations, in which 11 people lost their lives and several others were injured.