‘I know they’re waiting for my speech to end...': Rohit Sharma's trademark jab at MI teammates during stand inauguration
Rohit Sharma made a hilarious remark aimed at his MI teammates in a speech during the inauguration of the ‘Rohit Sharma stand’ at the Wankhede Stadium
Rohit Sharma’s legacy at the Wankhede Stadium was etched on Friday as the Mumbai Cricket Association officially unveiled the ‘Rohit Sharma Stand’ in the presence of the Indian ODI captain and his family. Rohit invited his parents to the stage to press the buzzer to inaugurate the stand, marking a heartwarming moment.
“It will be a surreal feeling when I come here and play for Mumbai Indians. It will even get special when I represent the country, whenever that happens,” Rohit said at the ceremony, which also saw key dignitaries like Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, in attendance.
“To have this honour in front of my family, my mom and dad, my brother and his wife, and my wife — very special people in my life — and I'm so grateful for things they have sacrificed for me to stand here,” he added, visibly moved by the occasion.
Rohit, who joins the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Vijay Merchant in having a stand named after him at the venue, took the opportunity to acknowledge the people who shaped his career — and didn’t forget his current IPL team either. Hilariously, he also poked fun at his Mumbai Indians teammates, who were scheduled to begin their training session after the event at the Wankhede Stadium.
“Of course, not to forget, my very special team, Mumbai Indians is also here. I'm pretty sure they are waiting for my speech to get over so they can start training! Thank you for coming here and supporting,” said Rohit.
He also thanked the association for the gesture. “Special thanks to Sharad Pawar sahab and Fadnavis sir for being here, and making it very special. I will never forget this day. Thank you to all the MCA members for this honour.”
Rohit's Test retirement
The inauguration comes over a week after Rohit announced his retirement from Test cricket, drawing curtains on a 67-Test career in which he scored 4301 runs at an average of 40.58. Rohit was India's Test captain at the time of his retirement, with the BCCI expected to announce his successor next week.
A week after Rohit's retirement, Virat Kohli also called time on his Test career.
