DDCA's decision - Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium to be known as Arun Jaitley

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Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi’s cricket stadium, will be renamed after former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. DDCA has taken this decision.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) on Tuesday has decided to name the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium after its former president and former finance minister of the country, Arun Jaitley. Arun Jaitley died on Saturday last week. This stadium will now be known as Arun Jaitley Stadium. Jaitley was the chairman of DDCA and the vice-chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Its new naming will be done in a ceremony on 12 September. A stand of Feroz Shah Kotla will be named after Indian captain Virat Kohli, which has already been announced. DDCA gave information about changing the name of the stadium on Twitter.

DDCA tweeted, ‘Kotla’s name will be changed to Arun Jaitley Stadium. However, the name of the ground will be Feroz Shah Kotla. The ceremony to change the name of Delhi’s historic cricket stadium will be held on 12 September and on the same day a stand of the stadium will be named after Virat Kohli.

Earlier, BJP MP and former cricketer Gautam Gambhir also wrote to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, requesting that the Yamuna Sports Complex should be named after Jaitley. Jaitley died on 24 August in AIIMS, Delhi after a long illness. The Indian team also tied the black band in mourning the death of Jaitley in the first Test played against the Windies.

DDCA President Rajat Sharma said, “It was Arun Jaitley’s support and encouragement that made India proud by Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Ashish Nehra, Rishabh Pant and many other players.” Many veteran cricketers and the BCCI have mourned the death of former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

The credit goes to Arun Jaitley for making the stadium equipped with modern facilities and building a world-class dressing room with increasing spectator capacity. The ceremony will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in which Home Minister Amit Shah and Sports Minister Kiran Rijiju will also participate.