Mithali Raj and Ravi Kalpana to have stands named after them in Visakhapatnam

Former India captain Mithali Raj and wicketkeeper-batter Ravi Kalpana will have stands named after them in the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The Andhra Cricket Association will unveil the stands ahead of the India-Australia group game in the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 on October 12.

The move comes after current Indian opener Smriti Mandhana had suggested the same to Andhra Pradesh Information Technology minister Nara Lokesh during a chat in Breaking the Boundaries in August.

"The ACA's tribute to Mithali Raj and Ravi Kalpana reflects a deep commitment to honouring the trailblazers who have redefined women's cricket in India while inspiring the next generation to dream bigger," the ACA said in a statement.

"Smriti Mandhana's thoughtful suggestion captured a wider public sentiment," IT minister Lokesh said. "Translating that idea into immediate action reflects our collective commitment to gender parity and to acknowledging the trailblazers of women's cricket."

Mithali, who retired from international cricket in March 2022, continues to be the top run-getter in Women’s ODIs with a tally of 7805 runs from 211 innings at an impressive average of 50.68. The former Indian captain, who led India to two ODI World Cup finals, also has seven hundreds and 64 fifties in the format.

She represented India in 12 Test matches, scoring a century and four fifties while accumulating 699 runs at an average of 43.68. She also left a mark in T20Is with 2364 runs, including 17 half-centuries, from 89 matches, and averaging 37.52.

Meanwhile, Kalpana represented the country in seven matches and has been an influential figure in Andhra cricket. She has been a trailblazer of sorts, with Arundhati Reddy, S. Meghana, and Shree Charani following in her footsteps to represent the country.