Bengaluru, April 5 Legendary Indian cricketers Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble were honoured on Sunday with stadium ends named after them at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, ahead of the IPL 2026 clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) formally unveiled the “Rahul Dravid End” and the “Anil Kumble End” at a ceremony attended by family members of both players. The old BEML end was renamed after Dravid, while the pavilion end now bears Kumble’s name.
KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad, a former India fast bowler and teammate of both Dravid and Kumble, presided over the event alongside vice-president Sujith Somasundar and other association officials.
The association had announced in February this year that Dravid, who scored 24,177 international runs and Kumble, India’s leading wicket-taker with 956 scalps across formats, would be recognised with stands or ends named in their honour.
"It's been a second home to me, and it's been a place where, as Anil said, we probably spent more time here than we have spent in our houses. It's been a place of great happiness, sometimes great disappointment as well, but a place that has truly given me everything I am today. I can never be more grateful for what the KSCA and this great ground and this iconic ground have given me in my life," Dravid had said at that time.
Both Dravid and Kumble are members of a rare club – to have captained India and later presided as coach of the national side. Dravid’s mother Pushpa and brother Vijay attended the ceremony, while Kumble’s wife Chetana, son Mayas and daughters Aaruni and Swasthi were present.
"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. 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 had said at that time.
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