Sachin Tendulkar’s long-anticipated presence at the iconic Wankhede Stadium came to fruition on Wednesday, marking a journey of four decades since his first visit as a 10-year-old cricket enthusiast. As his life-sized statue was unveiled on his home ground, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde graced the grand ceremony.
Tendulkar, accompanied by his wife Anjali and daughter Sara, was joined by esteemed dignitaries including former BCCI and ICC chief Sharad Pawar, current BCCI secretary Jay Shah, treasurer Ashish Shelar, vice-president Rajiv Shukla, and MCA president Amol Kale, among others.
Reflecting on the moment, Tendulkar shared, “It is indeed a special moment for me. It was around February when Mr. Shelar and Mr. Kale called me on behalf of the MCA, they said we are having this thought of having your statue inside the stadium. I was extremely delighted, to be honest. I did not know how to react.”
“I am truly humbled when I stand here. I go to the ground, there are thousands of images that come to my head and thoughts, so many incredible memories. It is truly an honor to walk on this turf which has given me everything in life,” he added.
Tendulkar also reminisced about his first visit to Wankhede Stadium in 1983, as a 10-year-old, watching the West Indies play. “My first visit to the Wankhede Stadium was way back in 1983, I was only 10 years old. The West Indies had come to India, and this was after the World Cup, the excitement was there. All my colony friends in Bandra decided to go for this match,” he recalled, highlighting how he managed to enter without a ticket, seated in the North Stand.
Being a part of the North Stand crowd, he noted, “I was a part of the North Stand gang, I also made a lot of noise, enjoyed the game. (On) my way back home to Bandra, and somebody said ‘achcha manage kiya na?’ (We managed it well, no?). There were 25 of us and we only had 24 tickets. I asked how did we manage? The reply came, ‘usko Sachin ko chhupa ke le jana pada’ (we had to hide Sachin between us to take him inside).”
Tendulkar humorously added, “Sometimes, being vertically challenged can also work well for you.”
Furthermore, Tendulkar revealed that he recommended Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India’s captain in 2007, influenced by his ankle injury. He recalled a meeting with Mr. Pawar, saying, “I remember having a meeting with Mr. Pawar (the then BCCI president) in England and I told him that as a player, my leadership role will always be there. Only the captain’s tag won’t be there. But at this stage, I don’t think I can last the whole day as both my ankles were giving trouble. That’s the reason I suggested that Dhoni be made the captain, and the rest is history.”
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