Have you ever heard of a stadium… built not for passion

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00:00Have you ever heard of a stadium built not for passion but for revenge?

00:05Yes, a real revenge.

00:07A powerful man felt insulted and instead of fighting with words, he built a stadium.

00:12Not just any stadium but the Vankhede Stadium in the heart of Mumbai.

00:17This is not just about cricket.

00:19This is about pride, politics and one man's bold answer to humiliation.

00:23Hello all, this is Gaurang Kadam from Lokmar Times

00:26and today I'll take you into a story that will surprise you.

00:30The unbelievable story behind one of India's most iconic cricket stadiums.

00:35Let's rewind the clock to the 1970s.

00:37At that time, cricket in Mumbai was played at the Brebon Stadium,

00:41a beautiful ground owned by the Cricket Club of India or the CCI.

00:46But there was a problem.

00:48The Bombay Cricket Association or the BCA was the body responsible for organising matches.

00:53But they did not own any ground.

00:55So they had to beg to the ICC for every match.

01:00And the ICC wasn't very kind.

01:03They often refused to give enough tickets to the BCA.

01:06They charged high fees.

01:08They didn't treat BCA officials with respect.

01:11Here enters S.K. Vankhede,

01:13the then president of BCA and a powerful political figure in Maharashtra.

01:17In 1973, Vankhede asked the CCI for permission to hold a charity match at Brebon for the members of the Legislative Assembly.

01:27But the CCI president, Vijay Merchant, a former cricketer, refused straight away.

01:33And not just that.

01:34He allegedly said,

01:35That insult hit hard.

01:44Vankhede did not reply with anger.

01:47He replied with action.

01:49He stood up and said,

01:50We will build our own stadium for our own people.

01:54And he did.

01:55Vankhede found a piece of land just a stone's throw away from Brebon.

02:00A 13-acre sports plot near Churchgate.

02:02And he turned the dream into reality.

02:05In just 11 months and 23 days,

02:07Vankhede's stadium was built.

02:10Faster than anyone thought possible.

02:12It was ready by 1974 and had a capacity of 45,000 people.

02:18And you know what's the best part?

02:19It was named after him.

02:21The man who stood up.

02:23Shesha Rao Krishna Rao Vankhede.

02:25The first test match was played in 1975.

02:28India vs. Western East.

02:30India lost, but the city had won.

02:32It had taken the control of its own cricket destiny.

02:35But Vankhede Stadium, it's not about history.

02:38It's also about memories.

02:39In 1985, Ravi Shastri hit six sixes in one over.

02:44That moment made every cricket fan go wild.

02:47Years later, Hivrat Singh did the same in the 2007 320 World Cup.

02:53Guess who was doing the commentary?

02:55Ravi Shastri himself.

02:56Then came 2011.

02:58The night of dreams.

03:00India lifted the World Cup at the most iconic 1k day.

03:04MS Dhoni hit that magical six.

03:06The entire stadium echoed with one day matram.

03:08Sachin Tendulkar was playing his last World Cup.

03:12He also had tears in his eyes and so did the nation.

03:16And in 2013, Sachin played his last test match here in Vankhede.

03:20Fans filled the stands.

03:22People watched from rooftops, from phones, from TVs.

03:26All to say goodbye to the god of cricket.

03:29Right where he belonged.

03:30But behind all these proud moments is one forgotten story.

03:35The story of how a man took an insult and turned it into an institution.

03:40Today, when the world watches cricket at Vankhede, they see passion, glory and records.

03:45But very few know it was built out of pain and pride.

03:49It is not just a stadium.

03:51It is a symbol of Mumbai's heart.

03:54It is a proof that when someone says you can't, you must.

03:58And that is why Vankhede Stadium will always stand tall.

04:01And that is why Vankhede Stadium will always stand tall.

04:05If the story touched you, taught you something new or made you proud,

04:09don't forget to like, share and subscribe to Lokman Types.

04:13I am Gaurang Kadam and this was the real story behind the stadium

04:17where Indian cricket made history.

04:20The Vankhede.

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