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The Maharashtra government has decided to hand over a 2,000-square-meter plot in Mumbai's Bandra region on lease to Ajinkya Rahane to develop a sports complex. The Maharashtra cabinet has cleared a proposal to give the said land to Rahane on a 30-year lease.
The plot was earlier allotted to the legendary Sunil Gavaskar back in 1988 for an indoor training academy. However, the former India captain reportedly could not develop the facility. The Sunil Gavaskar Cricket Foundation Trust returned the plot to the state government in May 2022.
As per a report in PTI, a resolution to allot the plot on lease to Rahane was passed by MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority) and approved by the council of ministers. The report quoted the government as saying that the plot is in poor condition since slum dwellers have been using it.
Reacting to the development, Rahane shared an Instagram story and thanked Maharashtra government officials as well as the BCCI treasurer. Elaborating on the plan to build a sports complex on the plot handed to him on lease, he asserted:
"This academy will empower young sportspersons with top-notch facilities & guidance, fostering the next generation of champions in the city where my own cricketing journey began."
The 36-year-old recently had a fruitful stint with Leicestershire in county cricket, which ended due to a couple of niggles.
Ajinkya Rahane likely to lead Mumbai in Irani Cup 2024
The right-handed batter, who has represented India in 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is, is set to lead Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai in the 2024 Irani Cup match against the Rest of India. As per a report in PTI, the game could also mark the first-class return of all-rounder Shardul Thakur post-surgery.
Apart from Rahane, key Mumbai players like Shreyas Iyer, Musheer Khan, Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian are also likely to be available for the Irani Cup game. However, there is no clarity over Sarfaraz Khan's availability since he is part of the Indian squad for the second Test against Bangladesh against Kanpur.
The Test match will be played from September 27 to October 1, while the Irani Cup is scheduled to be held from October 1 to October 5.
Rahane led the Mumbai side that won the 2024 Ranji Trophy, beating Vidarbha in the final at the Wankhede Stadium. The middle-order batter was dismissed for only seven in the first innings but contributed 73 in the second essay as Mumbai went on to register victory by 169 runs.
