Explained: Why was Ajinkya Rahane allotted Sunil Gavaskar's Bandra plot by Maharashtra government?

India cricketer, Ajinkya Rahane has been away from international cricket for a while now. But the Mumbai cricketer is doing everything to aid the young cricketers of the state.

In the wake of this, the Maharashtra government has allotted a plot in the Bandra area of Mumbai for lease to develop the sports complex. The 2000 square meters of land was primarily allotted to the former India legend, Sunil Gavaskar, to set up an indoor training academy in 1988. However, the India legend could not foray into the venture for more than 30 years.

As a result, the revenue department will now give access to the land on a 30-year lease to the star cricketer Rahane, as the cricketer dreams of providing a state-of-the-art sports facility.

Also Read: Cricket likely to be omitted from Asian Games 2026

I did not cancel allotment because of Gavaskar's stature: Former Housing Minister

Though the land was allotted to Sunil Gavaskar, there was no developmental work on the land for most of the time. As a result, slum dwellers used the plot for various reasons. A report from Telegraph India also mentioned that the plot was in poor condition and Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) decided to hand over the property to Rahane.

Also Read: ‘Kindly enlighten us’ - Sunil Gavaskar slams Michael Vaughan for recent Root-Tendulkar comment

"I had almost decided to cancel the allotment of the 2,000 sq metre plot located in Bandra. Despite its huge size and prime location, the proposed cricket academy has not yet been established. I did not cancel the allotment because of Gavaskar's stature and his great contribution to the game," former Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad said in 2021. 

Notably, Gavaskar did not fulfill the proposed cricket academy and the land was handed back to the state government by the Sunil Gavaskar Cricket Foundation Trust in May 2022.