Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is one of the best grounds till date in Indian cricket history. The venue has witnessed numerous magical moments in Indian cricket, including the historic 2011 World Cup final, when MS Dhoni smashed a six to make India world champions.
Owing to the nature of the surface, the batters have loved batting at Wankhede Stadium. Numerous records have been made at this very ground and some of the batters made it a habit of scoring centuries here.
On that note, we bring you the top 5 players with most centuries at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
- Sunil Gavaskar
India legend Sunil Gavaskar is on top of this list. He enjoyed playing at his home ground a lot, smashing bowlers of the opposition at will. He smacked as many as five centuries at the Wankhede Stadium. In 14 matches played and in 23 innings, Gavaskar amassed 1194 runs at his favourite venue at an impeccable average of 51.91. Apart from his five tons, he scored three fifties as well.
Even after playing the last match of his career back in 1987, he is still on top of the list of players with most centuries at the Wankhede Stadium. Not many players among current cricketers are close to him and his record is likely to stay for a few more years.
2. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is in second place on the list with three centuries to his name. The former India skipper played 17 matches across formats at Wankhede and amassed 1145 runs at an outstanding average of 63.61, including three tons. Apart from that, he has also notched up seven fifties at the venue so far.
Interestingly, two out of his three tons have come in the ODI format. Kohli is a champion when it comes to playing the 50-over format and the man has scored 474 runs in eight outings at the venue at an average of 67.71 with two tons and as many half-tons to his name. Overall, Kohli’s highest score in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium is 235. He is expected to play for at least a couple more years and has a chance to go past Gavaskar on this list.
3. Quinton de Kock
Quinton de Kock is the only foreign player on this list. The South African opener loved playing at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and pummelled the Indian bowlers whenever he got a chance to bat. He played a total of five matches across formats in the financial capital of India and notched up two centuries.
De Kock’s both centuries came in the ODIs and overall, he scored 384 runs in five innings at an average of 76.8 with 174 being his best score. Apart from a couple of tons, the southpaw also scored one half-century. De Kock played two Test matches at the venue but couldn’t register a three-figure score. With the left-hander unlikely to play more for South Africa, he finishes with two tons at the stadium.
4. Cheteshwar Pujara
India’s second wall – Cheteshar Pujara also notched up two centuries, both in Tests, at the Wankhede Stadium. The iconic venue witnessed him play four matches and India’s former number three in the whites crossed the 100-run mark whenever he crossed 50. In six innings, Pujara scored 348 runs at an average of 58 with two tons to his name.
He is yet to retire from international cricket but is unlikely to get picked in the Indian Test team now with the management moving on from him. However, his twin centuries in Mumbai with the best score of 135 will always remain in the folklore of Indian cricket.
5. Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri’s recent stint with the Indian team as manager and then the head coach remained in the limelight. But as a cricketer, he brought a lot of laurels for the country and that includes his brilliant knocks at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai as well.
During his career that spanned from 1981 to 1988, Shastri played eight matches at the venue, and in 11 innings, he scored two centuries and one fifty, scoring 478 runs at an average of 53.11 with his highest score being 142.
