Sachin Tendulkar, a legendary Indian cricketer, was pleasantly surprised when the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) decided to honor him with a life-size statue at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Reflecting on his journey as a cricketer at the iconic stadium, the 49-year-old expressed that life has come ‘full circle’ for him since. This is yet another tribute to the great cricketer, following the naming of a stand after him at the same stadium. Reacting to this special gesture, Sachin said: “This decision is a pleasant surprise for me; 1988 is when it all started at the Wankhede. The journey started here for me. Played my first Ranji match here. Long ago, (Ramakant) Achrekar sir reprimanded me here, and from thereon, I became a serious cricketer.”
“I played my last match at this very venue. Life has come full circle for me here. I have wonderful memories of this place, some memorable and some not-so-good. It’s a big moment for me.”
He further added: “I am still a 25-year-old with 25 years of experience, I would say. It’s a very special place for me, and a lot of things happened in my career because of the MCA. The amount of time that I have spent here is second to none, and I have enjoyed being here and playing here. … Things such as these are rare and unique.”
When will Tendulkar’s statue at the Wankhede stadium be unveiled?
The MCA President, Kale, is confident that the cricket association will be able to unveil the statue during the upcoming ODI World Cup, scheduled to take place in India. Kale stated:
“Every Mumbaikar, rather the world, knows about Sachin’s contribution to cricket. He’s the pride of the cricketing fraternity and a Bharat Ratna as well.”
“As a small token of appreciation of his work, and as a special gift on his 50th birthday, the MCA will put up a life-size statue in the premises of the Wankhede Stadium, something similar to the statue of Shane Warne at the MCG. We are planning to do it (unveiling) during the ODI World Cup, so that the entire cricketing fraternity is present during its unveiling.”