The iconic white ball which the Indian Skipper/Finisher Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit on the night of the ICC World Cup in 2011 final has been located.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has come forward to help the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) locate the ball which disappeared into the stands after Dhoni finished off that match with a historic Six.
The governing body was planning to immortalise the moment, and also honour Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who hit the match-winning six, by naming the seat where the ball would have landed after him.
While the search was underway, Gavaskar informed the MCA that the spectator who caught the ball happens to be an acquaintance of Gavaskar’s friend.
The search for the exact spot and the match-ball started last month when the 39-year-old announced his retirement from international cricket.
As an act of gratitude and tribute to his immense contribution to Indian cricket, the MCA can devote a permanent seat on his name at the pavilion where his famous World Cup-winning six had landed.
“We can paint and decorate the seat in a unique way to celebrate Dhoni’s association with Wankhede Stadium… We can have a plaque on that seat with some special text to honour that moment,” says the letter written by MCA Apex Council member Ajinkya Naik to the BCCI.
That spot has now been identified as seat number 210 in the MCA Pavilion, L Block. And the person in possession of the match ball has also been identified.
“Gavaskar informed Ajinkya that his friend knows the person who was at that spot, and even has the ball with him,” an MCA member said.
The prospect of a particular seat, and not an entire stand, being named after a player is a novelty in India, but is not an alien concept abroad.