Visakhapatnam cricket stadium to have Mithali Raj and Raavi Kalpana stands

Ahead of the high-voltage India-Australia Women Cricket World Cup match, the Andhra Cricket Association will inaugurate the Mithali Raj Stand and the Raavi Kalpana stand on the ACA-VDCA Cricket stadium in Visakhapatnam on October 12. This is alleged to be the marking a first-of-its-kind tribute to girls cricketers on the stadium.

The resolution was taken after Indian girls cricketer Smriti Mandhana had prompt to AP IT Minister Nara Lokesh to call two stands on the Vizag cricket stadium after Mithali Raj and Raavi Kalpana.

As per ACA officers, the choice was fast-tracked following the star batter Smriti Mandhana’s request in the course of the “Breaking Boundaries” fireplace chat in August 2025 with Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh, the place she highlighted the absence of stadium stands named after main Indian girls cricketers, together with at Vizag. She talked about that renaming of such stands would honour the contribution of ladies cricketers, whereas additionally spotlighting their contributions to the sport. It would additionally encourage the subsequent era of ladies to enter cricket as a career.

Acting on Mandhana’s enchantment, Minister Nara Lokesh instantly consulted the Andhra Cricket Association, resulting in a immediate decision to honour girls’s cricket icons by naming stands after them on the Vizag venue.

Mr. Lokesh stated, “Smriti Mandhana’s considerate suggestion captured a wider public sentiment. Translating that concept into speedy motion displays our collective dedication to gender parity and to acknowledging the trailblazers of ladies’s cricket.”

Smriti Mandhana’s intervention at “Breaking Boundaries”, the place main cricketers mentioned the stereotypes and obstacles girls face in sport, underscored how seen honours in main venues can elevate consciousness and encourage participation throughout India.