The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has honoured four of their past-era captains — Sunil Gavaskar (box and statue), Sachin Tendulkar (statue), Dilip Vengsarkar (stand), and Ajit Wadekar (stand). There is talk that a statue of Vengsarkar too will soon be installed on the premises. It is probably overlooked that Vengsarkar was the second Mumbai player after Gavaskar to play 100 Tests (at Mumbai in 1988) before Tendulkar accomplished the feat at the Oval in 2002.

The current administrators have also been reminded not to forget the likes of Dilip Sardesai, Ashok Mankad, and Eknath Solkar, who served the MCA with distinction. Sardesai was part of 13 (1960-61 to 1972-73) of those 15 consecutive triumphant Ranji Trophy seasons.

Ashok Mankad, apart from leading Mumbai to Ranji Trophy glory in 1974-75 and 1975-76, mentored a legion of players, while tireless Solkar captained the 1980-81 Ranji Trophy-winning Mumbai with five regulars (Gavaskar, Karsan Ghavri, Vengsarkar, Sandeep Patil, and Ravi Shastri) on India duty in New Zealand. Without diluting the need to honour the late and deserving Sardesai, Mankad, and Solkar, I would like to make a case for Shastri.