The Wankhede Stadium where master blaster Sachin Tendulkar started his cricket career will now have a life-size statue of him. It was here that Tendulkar’s cricketing career took off under legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar and it was at this ground that he fulfilled his dream of winning the ODI World Cup title in 2011. He played his 200th and last Test match against the West Indies in 2013 at this ground.
His statue is expected to be unveiled on April 24 on the occasion of his 50th birthday. Tendulkar told ‘PTI-Bhasha’, ‘I started my cricket journey representing Mumbai. India winning the world cup in 2011 is the biggest moment of my life. My last match for India was also very memorable and it was played in Mumbai itself. “He said,” Life came full circle for me at Wankhede. This ground has been witness to some very special moments for me. I was pleasantly surprised when Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) suggested my statue at Wankhede.
“I have always taken immense pride in representing Mumbai Cricket and my wonderful association with MCA continues to this day. I am very grateful to him for this initiative. MCA president Amol Kale made the announcement on Tuesday on the sidelines of Tendulkar’s visit to Wankhede. Tendulkar is widely regarded as one of the game’s all-time greats for his incredible career. He held several batting records in Tests and ODIs during his career spanning 24 years.
The player who scored 100 centuries in international cricket already has a stand in his name at Wankhede. Madame Tussauds in London has a wax statue of her since 2009. Meanwhile, Tendulkar and his wife Anjali met Microsoft founder Bill Gates here on Tuesday. They talked for two hours on a range of topics, including children’s education and health services.
