Sunil Gavaskar returns unused Mumbai plot after 33 years

Sunil Gavaskar, the former India captain, has returned a government property allocated to him 33 years ago for the purpose of establishing a cricket academy in Mumbai.

After 33 years, Sunil Gavaskar's trust has returned to the Maharashtra Housing Development Authority (MHADA), a 21,348-square-foot land in Bandra.

In the late 1980s, the Sunil Gavaskar Cricket Foundation Trust (SGCFT) was awarded the land to build an indoor cricket academy. Gavaskar was expected to start working at the academy in three months and finish in three years, but he never did that.

MHADA, in 2019 sent a proposal to reclaim the ownership of the property. Gavaskar then enlisted the assistance of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar for a collaborative endeavour, and both of them met with the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. 

Later, MHADA was asked to investigate the possibility of the two cricketing icons opening a school on the Bandra land. Meanwhile, Gavaskar gave his consent to a new land return request from MHADA. 

He went on to issue a letter to the Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray and State Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad, saying that he is unable to build the cricket academy as planned and is returning the land. Gavaskar was unable to complete the project due to work commitments, according to MHADA sources. 

They stated that Gavaskar expressed his desire to contribute to the construction of a sports academy. MHADA is now proactively looking into several land development options.