NEW DELHI : The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) on Tuesday has decided to rechristen the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium as Arun Jaitley Stadium in the memory of its former president who passed away on Saturday.
To clarify the ground will continue to be known as the Feroz Shah Kotla, as it is only the stadium that has been renamed by the DDCA.The renaming of the stadium will take place on September 12 at a function where a stand at the Kotla will be named after India captain Virat Kohli as announced earlier. The function, to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, will be graced by the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.
"It was Arun Jaitley's support and encouragement that players like Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Ashish Nehra, Rishabh Pant and many others could make India proud."said , DDCA president Rajat Sharma.
Jaitley, during his tenure at DDCA, is remembered for renovating the stadium into a modern facility, increasing its capacity to accommodate more fans besides constructing world class dressing rooms.
The Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium is the second-oldest cricket stadium in India after Kolkata's Eden Gardens and was established in 1883. The stadium's capacity is currently at over 40,000.
It has played host to 34 Test matches, 25 ODIs and 5 T20Is. Besides that, it also hosts matches for the Delhi cricket team as well as the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals.
