Despite the controversial build-up, Delhi and District Cricket Association on Monday unveiled the statue of its former president Arun Jaitley at its premises. Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled the life-size statue of 96-year-old sculptor Ram Sutar, who also built the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. The ceremony was attended by BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, India opener Shikhar Dhawan, former player, and BJP MP Gautam Gambhir.
BCCI president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly, India opener Shikhar Dhawan, former player Gautam Gambhir, who is a BJP MP from Delhi, BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla and Union minister Hardik Puri attended the ceremony along with several DDCA officials took.
Former India cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi had strongly criticized the DDCA for choosing to install a statue of an administrator instead of an inspirational cricketer and even demanded his name to be removed from a stand at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground.
Arun was like an elder brother to me. He was known for his sportsmanship in the political arena. He was aggressive in his speeches but never diminished the dignity of Parliament.
Ganguly said that Jaitley’s contribution to the development of cricket in Delhi is immense, although the DDCA has been in “turmoil” for some time.
When we play and get 100, it gets recognized but a lot of people work behind the scene and help cricketers. He was a cricketer. It’s the role of an administrator, he said.
“I remember a phone call he made during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. We lost the first game and the whole country was bifurcated but he said that the association supports you and you play well “These small things matter, he was a great man,” Ganguly said.
“It is a remarkably talented state which has so far produced many players, Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma, Rishabh Pant and many more in the past. A settled DDCA is a good thing for Indian cricket and hopefully, they can do it.
Gambhir said the installation of the Jolly statue is a fitting tribute to him.
He said, We won the Ranji Trophy during his tenure and the stadium was also built. Honesty, intellectual, and complete transparency are important to any administrator and that was it, said Gambhir.