Visakhapatnam, Oct 12 (IANS) The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) unveiled the newly-designated stand named in honour of former India captain Mithali Raj, along with a Gate named after former wicketkeeper Raavi Kalpana, here at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, recognising the contributions of both to Indian women’s cricket stalwarts.

The unveiling took place before the toss of India’s ODI World Cup match against Australia. International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah, BCCI President Mithun Manhas, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh, ACA president and Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath, and Mithali herself, along with other dignitaries, were present on the occasion.

The decision to name a stand after Mithali and the gate in honour of Kalpana at the ACA-VDCA Stadium was taken by the Andhra Cricket Association last week.

The decision came after star batter Smriti Mandhana made a request during the “Breaking Boundaries” fireside chat with Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh in August 2025, where she highlighted the absence of stadium stands named after leading Indian women cricketers, including at Visakhapatnam.

Mandhana felt that the renaming of such stands would honour the contribution of women cricketers, while also spotlighting their contributions to the game. It would also inspire the next generation of women to enter cricket as a profession.

Acting on Mandhana’s appeal, Minister Nara Lokesh immediately consulted the Andhra Cricket Association, leading to a prompt resolution to honour the women’s cricket icons by naming stands after them at the Vizag venue.

The Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam already has a stand each named after former India stars MSK Prasad and Venugopal Rao.

Mithali, a stalwart of women’s cricket, holds the record for the most runs in women’s ODIs. She scored 7805 runs from 232 ODIs at an average of 50.68 with seven centuries.

In 89 T20Is, she scored 2364 runs with 17 fifties at 37.52, while in 12 Tests, Mithali scored 699 runs in 19 innings at 43.68 with a highest score of 214, the best for an Indian batter in the format. She retired from all formats of the game in 2022, bringing down the curtain on a career that spanned 23 years.

Kalpana played seven ODIs between 2015 and 2016, and her rise to the India team has inspired several cricketers from the region, such as Arundhati Reddy, S Meghana, and N Shree Charani.

–IANS

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