Sports in Mumbai

The Scene

Mumbai is cricket's Vatican. The BCCI is headquartered here. Wankhede Stadium hosts international tests. The Mumbai Indians IPL franchise — owned by Ambani — is the most valuable team. The city's maidans have produced more international cricketers per square kilometer than any ground on earth. The Tata Mumbai Marathon is Asia's largest road race — 55,000 participants.

Key Players

Sachin Tendulkar — Mumbai's greatest sportsman and arguably India's most beloved citizen. Sunil Gavaskar — the original batting legend. Rohit Sharma carries the Mumbai lineage forward. Mumbai City FC — City Football Group-backed — builds football culture in a cricket city.

History & DNA

Cricket arrived through the British Raj — first match in 1848. Mumbai's Ranji Trophy team has won more than any other. The 2011 Cricket World Cup final at Wankhede — India's victory with Tendulkar in the squad — is the most emotionally significant moment in Indian sports.

Where to Go

• Wankhede Stadium — D Rd, Churchgate.
• Oval Maidan — Churchgate. Open pitches, Gothic backdrop.
• Marine Drive — Running. Dawn or sunset.
• Mumbai Marathon start — CST station. January.

The Outlook

The IPL's multi-billion-dollar scale generates economic activity beyond the sport. Mumbai makes cricket matter more than any other city, and cricket returns the favor.