Sheshrao Krishnarao Wankhede (24 September 1914 in

Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nagpur is projected to ...

– 30 January 1988 in

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) was a

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

administrator and politician.

Early life

Wankhede had his early college education in Nagpur and entered the bar in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. On his return, he started practice in Nagpur. In the 1940s, he entered politics and was jailed for taking part in the Indian freedom struggle.

Political career

He was elected to the Madhya Pradesh State assembly in 1952 and served as the deputy speaker of Bilingual Bombay State from 23 November 1956 to 5 April 1957. He was elected from

Kalmeshwar Kalameshwar-Bramhani is a city and a municipal council also a major Industrial hub in Nagpur district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is connected to National Highways NH-353I, NH-353J & NH-547E. Demographics India census, Kalmeshw ...

in 1957 elections to the Bombay State and in 1962 and 1967 to the Maharashtra Assembly. He was the Speaker of the

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly The Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha or the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the legislature of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is situated in the Nariman Point area of South Mumbai in the capital Mumbai. Presently, 288 me ...

between 22 March 1972 till 20 April 1977.http://www.legislativebodiesinindia.nic.in/STATISTICAL/Maharashtra.pdf Wankhede was also the mayor of Nagpur for three years. In 1967, he was a member of the Indian delegation that took part in the 22nd session of the

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As Cricket Administrator

Wankhede was the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of the

Board of Control for Cricket in India The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the national governing body for cricket in India. Its headquarters are situated at Cricket centre, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The BCCI is the richest governing body of cricket in the world ...

from 1980-81 to 1982-83, and the Vice president from 1972-73 to 1979-80. He led the Bombay Cricket Association from 1963-64 till his death. He also chaired various other sporting bodies. He was an agriculturist and businessman by profession. The Bombay Cricket Association (BCA) had persistent disputes with the

Cricket Club of India Cricket Club of India (CCI) is a cricket club in India. It is located on Dinsha Wacha Road, in Churchgate of Mumbai, India. It was conceived as India's counterpart to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). It is considered one of the most prestigiou ...

over ticketing revenues from

Brabourne Stadium The Brabourne Stadium is a cricket ground in Mumbai in Western India, built in the British Bombay era. It was the home ground of the Mumbai men's and women's cricket teams. It can accommodate 50,000 people for sports matches. The ground is owne ...

, which is owned by CCI. After a particularly bitter dispute in the early 1970s, the BCA decided to build a stadium of its own in Mumbai. Built under his leadership, it is now named after him as Wankhede Stadium, and is a prominent international cricketing venue.

References

* Obituary in Indian Cricket 1988 * Obituary in ACSSI almanack 1988 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wankhede, S K 1914 births 1988 deaths Wankhede, S.K. Politicians from Nagpur Maharashtra MLAs 1960–1962 Maharashtra MLAs 1962–1967 Maharashtra MLAs 1967–1972 Maharashtra MLAs 1972–1978 Marathi politicians Mayors of Nagpur Madhya Pradesh MLAs 1952–1957 Speakers of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Indian independence activists from Maharashtra Presidents of the Board of Control for Cricket in India Bombay State MLAs 1957–1960