Cricket royalty etched in stone: Chinnaswamy stadium stands to bear Kumble and Dravid names

The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), under the leadership of Venkatesh Prasad, has decided to honour two of Karnataka and India’s greatest cricketing icons by naming stands at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium after Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid.

Kumble, India’s highest wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs, and Dravid, the country’s second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket after Sachin Tendulkar, are both former captains who played a defining role in shaping Indian and Karnataka cricket.

Reflecting on the honour, Kumble highlighted the collective effort behind Karnataka cricket’s success. "I don't think it would be out of turn to state that all our contributions have made Karnataka cricket what it is, just as Karnataka cricket is what has made all of us," Kumble was quoted as saying in a media release.

He also emphasised that the recognition transcends individual names. "It's not really about whose name is on which stand. It's truly special that all the contributions have been recognized and are now permanently etched in the stadium." Kumble was also happy that Dravid and former women's national team skipper Shantha Rangaswamy have also been recognised with stands in their name.

Kumble expressed particular happiness that his longtime teammate Dravid and former India women’s team captain Shantha Rangaswamy were also being honoured.

"It's really nice that my cricketing colleague Rahul Dravid and Shantha Rangaswamy also being recognized for their massive contributions to Karnataka and Indian cricket. Congratulations to all of you," he said.
He further added, "To see the stands named after so many of our legends, some who I had the privilege of playing with and others who set the tone and example for us to follow at KSCA, is so just wonderful."