Sachin Tendulkar humbled at unveiling of his statue at Wankhede Stadium
Sachin Tendulkar humbled at unveiling of his statue at Wankhede Stadium
Master batter Sachin Tendulkar was humbled at the unveiling of his statue dedicated to him at Wankhede Stadium near a stand named after him with a ceremony which featured a traditional Indian dhol drum performance, a strong police presence, and a throng of photographers and television crews.
With the press of a button, the statue, crafted by local sculptor Pramod Kamble, was unveiled amidst a spectacular display of fireworks and streamers.
This lifelike statue is prominently situated near the Sachin Tendulkar stand, offering a square-on view of the field, with the ‘Little Master’ immortalized in the act of executing his iconic straight drive.
Although many cricket grounds bear the names of legendary players, it’s a rare sight to see statues of living cricketers, and even rarer to find them inside a cricket venue.
For Sachin it was indeed a special moment and amid the unveiling he said that he visists this ground and sees thousands of images that come to head and thoughts, so many incredible memories and that it was truly an honor to walk on this turf which gave him everything in life.
Tendulkar fondly reminisced on his first visit to the Wankhede Stadium as a 10-year-old in 1983, where he witnessed India taking on the West Indies shortly after India’s historic World Cup victory at Lord’s.
Notedly, he was part of a group of 25, including his older brother, even though they had only 24 tickets.
However, somehow they snuck this small 10-year-old boy into the ground. It was a seat that was not used to being occupied. So he had no choice but to make a hundred Tendulkar added.
Sachin culminated his illustrious career at the Wankhede Stadium in the midst of his 200th and final test match against the West Indies in 2013. His career records include an astounding 15,921 runs and 51 Test centuries, both all-time records.
In addition to his Test accomplishments, Tendulkar notched 49 centuries in 463 ODIs for the Indian cricket team, accumulating a staggering 18,426 runs, setting yet more all-time records. He remains the only batsman to have scored 100 international centuries.
But, the zenith of Tendulkar’s career reached at the Wankhede Stadium when he was part of the 2011 World Cup-winning team against Sri Lanka. He described this victory as “the proudest moment of my life.” This win marked India’s second World Cup title, following their 1983 victory, which significantly inspired Tendulkar’s enduring commitment to the sport of cricket. The statue at Wankhede Stadium stands as a fitting tribute to this cricket legend and his enduring contributions to the game.
News Edit K.V.Raman
