The Wankhede Stadium reverberated with the well-known chants of 'Sachin, Sachin' on a remarkable Wednesday evening. A beautifully crafted sculpture of the esteemed former India captain Sachin Tendulkar adorned his beloved 'home ground'. Joined by his wife Anjali and daughter Sara, a touched Tendulkar graciously acknowledged the unwavering affection of the crowd.
The statue, skillfully sculpted by the talented artist Pramod Kamble of Ahmednagar, portrays Tendulkar gracefully executing a stroke, standing proudly by the stand that bears his name.
In the esteemed presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, esteemed personalities such as Sharad Pawar, former heads of BCCI and MCA, alongside BCCI office-bearers, vice-president Rajeev Shukla and secretary Jay Shah, Tendulkar humbly expressed his deep gratitude to the Mumbai Cricket Association for this prestigious recognition. Furthermore, he warmly reminisced about his cherished first visit to this iconic venue as a young 10-year-old.
“I first visited Wankhede Stadium in 1983 when I was just 10. West Indies were touring India after the World Cup and the atmosphere was frenetic. I accompanied my brother's friends from the north to enjoy the game.'' On the way back, I heard someone say, ``Acha, manage kiya, na?'' (You handled it well, didn't you?),'' Tendulkar recalled.
He kindly shared an amusing anecdote about how he managed to enter the stadium when there was a higher number of attendees than available tickets.
In a thoughtful manner, Tendulkar shared his decision not to take on the position of India's captain in 2007 due to ongoing physical discomfort. During a meeting with Mr Pawar in England, I expressed that although I always saw myself as a leader on the field, my troublesome ankles made it challenging to handle the demands of a full day. As a result, I proposed Dhoni's name for captaincy, and as they say, the rest is history...
To honour this significant event, Sachin Tendulkar's remarkable cricketing legacy will forever be commemorated at his cherished Wankhede Stadium.
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