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'Mumbai's local boy' - Fans react to viral image of Sachin Tendulkar's grand statue unveiled at Wankhede Stadium

Tendulkar played his last international match at the Wankhede Stadium in November 2013. He scored a brilliant half-century against West Indies to help India win by an innings and 126 runs.

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Mathew K
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Sachin Tendulkar's statue unveiled at Wankhede Stadium (Source: Twitter)

Sachin Tendulkar's statue unveiled at Wankhede Stadium (Source: Twitter)

A grand statue of legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was unveiled at his home ground Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday, November 1. Placed next to the Sachin Tendulkar stand, standing at 22 feet high, the sculpture portrays the master blaster playing one of his iconic shots, the lofted straight drive. 

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The statue was initially planned to be unveiled earlier this year on the occasion of Tendulkar's 50th birthday. However, the event got pushed back due to some finishing touches that needed to be added to the structure. The statue was crafted by Pramod Kamble, a renowned painter and sculptor hailing from Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.

Various dignitaries including Indian Cricket Board Secretary Jay Shah, former board head Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Board Vice President Rajeev Shukla and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) officials attended the function. Tendulkar's wife Anjali and daughter Sara were also present at this momentous occasion. 

The stadium was packed with fans who graced the event with the iconic "Sachin Sachin" chants. It made the batting maestro nostalgic as he recalled his first visit to the venue as a 10-year-old. He also thanked the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for the honour. 

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"My first visit to the Wankhede Stadium was way back in 1983 and I was just 10 years old. The West Indies had come to India after the World Cup and the excitement was there. My brother’s friends from Bandra - all in their 30s or 40s - decided to watch the match and I was also asked to tag along. I went along with them, enjoyed the game from the North Stand and while coming back home, I heard someone say, ‘ Achha manage kiya, na?’ (We managed it well, no?),” Tendulkar reminisced.

“Then I realised that there were 25 of us, and we had only 24 tickets for the match, and they sneaked me in. After that I also got a chance to play at the Wankhede Stadium,” he added.

Tendulkar played his last international match at the Wankhede Stadium in November 2013. He scored a brilliant half-century (74 off 118 balls) against the West Indies and helped India win the game by an innings and 126 runs. Notably, the event was held a day before India's 2023 ODI World Cup match against Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma and Co. will take on Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, November 2.

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Here's how fans reacted: 

Sachin Tendulkar featured