Mithali Raj Stand and Raavi Kalpana gate inaugurated at ACA–VDCA Stadium, Vizag

The Andhra Cricket Association ACA on Sunday paid a glowing tribute to two of the statersquos most accomplished women cricketers mdash Mithali Raj and Raavi Kalpana mdash by naming a stand and a gate after them respectively at the ACAndashVDCA Cricket StadiumThe inauguration was carried out by Honrsquoble Minister for IT Electronics RTG and HRD Andhra Pradesh Shri Nara Lokesh in the presence of ICC Chairman Shri Jay Shah ACA President Kesineni Sivanath and several dignitaries from the cricketing fraternityThe momentous occasion was also graced by ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta Cricket Australia Chairman Mike Baird and CEO Todd Greenberg In addition BCCI President Mithun Manhas Secretary Devajit Saikia and Joint Secretary Prabhtej Bhatia were among those present From the Andhra Cricket Association Secretary Sana Sathish Babu VicePresident Bandaru Narasimha Rao Treasurer Dandamudi Srinivas Joint Secretary B Vijay Kumar and Councillor Dantu Gour Vishnu TejMithali Raj Indiarsquos most celebrated woman cricketer is the leading rungetter in womenrsquos international cricket with 10868 runs across formats including seven centuries and 85 fifties Having made her international debut in 1999 Mithali led India to two ODI World Cup finals and remains the only Indian woman to have captained the national side in more than 150 ODIs Her illustrious career spanning 23 years is a testament to her excellence consistency and trailblazing role in shaping womenrsquos cricket in IndiaThe Minister presented Mithali with a Limited Edition Handcrafted Silver Cricket Ball embossed with the ACA logoUnveiling the Mithali Raj Stand and Raavi Kalpana Gate Shri Nara Lokesh said ldquoMithali Raj is not just a name but an institution in Indian cricket She has been a true trailblazer and a role model for millions of young girls who dream of donning the India colours It is a matter of immense pride for Andhra Pradesh that a stand at the ACAndashVDCA Stadium will forever bear her name The Andhra Government has stood true to its commitment of honouring one of the greatest cricketers our country has ever produced I would like to see hundreds of Mithalis emerge from our state and serve the nation with the same dedication and distinction that she has shown for 23 yearsrdquoSpeaking at the event ICC Chairman Shri Jay Shah said ldquoI congratulate the Andhra Government and ACA for this commendable gesture Mithali Rajrsquos journey and her achievements resonate across the cricketing world so naming a stand after her is a befitting tribute to her legacy I am also confident that this gesture will galvanise support for womenrsquos Cricket in the region inspire more young girls to take up the sport and motivate emerging Cricketers to strive for higher levels of excellencerdquoA stand in the name of Mithali at the ACAndashVDCA Stadium is testimony to the global growth of the game as well as how womenrsquos cricket has taken over in India The advent of the Womenrsquos Premier League WPL and equal match fees for menrsquos and womenrsquos senior national teams have made the game a financially viable profession The ICC has also been taking strides toward pay parity and the ongoing edition boasts a higher prize money pool compared to the 2023 menrsquos 50over World CupACA President Kesineni Sivanath also expressed his pride saying ldquoThe ACA is extremely proud to honour a living legend like Mithali Raj She has fans all over the country but being the first Association to name a stand after her is something that will be remembered for generations to come This recognition is a celebration not only of Mithalirsquos contribution to the game but also of womenrsquos cricket in Andhra and IndiardquoResponding to the honour Mithali Raj said ldquoIt is a true honour and privilege to have a stand named after me at Vizag My heartfelt gratitude to the Andhra Government the Andhra Cricket Association and its office bearers for bestowing this recognition upon me Vizag has always held a special place in my journey It is where I spent countless hours honing my skills learning the game and growing into the cricketer and person I am today To see how far womenrsquos cricket has come fills me with immense pride My deepest appreciation goes to the ICC and its Chairman Mr Jay Shah for their continued efforts in championing the cause of womenrsquos cricket with such conviction The game today is thriving full of opportunity belief and remarkable talent Lastly I want to thank my family who have been my greatest pillars of strength and support throughout this journey This honour belongs as much to them as it does to merdquoExpressing her gratitude Raavi Kalpana said ldquoThis is what dreams are made of Getting honoured alongside my skipper Mithali didi is something I couldnrsquot have thought of in my wildest imagination I want to thank Honrsquoble Minister Nara Lokesh gaaru Andhra has produced quality players and in the coming days I am sure many more girls from our state will make the country proudrdquoThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever