'Wankhede, cricket, you've been very kind': Sachin Tendulkar pens heartfelt note after statue unveiled in Wankhede ahead of Ind vs SL match

Hours after master blaster Sachin Tendulkar's statue was unveiled inside his home ground, Wankhede stadium, the legend wrote a heartfelt note on his memorable journey. Tendulkar, who started his career in 1989, is considered as the most prolific run-maker of all time, and arguably one of the biggest cricket icons the game has ever known, and is often compared to greats like Sir Don Bradman.

The statue, which is a tribute to Tendulkar's illustrious career, was crafted by Pramod Kamble, and was unveiled on Wednesday in the presence of the legend, his family, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, BCCI secretary Jay Shah, treasurer Ashish Shelar, along with officials from the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) such as president Amol Kale, secretary Ajinkya Naik. The sculpture which shows Tendulkar in action, is next to the Sachin Tendulkar stand within the stadium.

Recalling his exciting career, Tendulkar wrote how his first visit to the Wankhede was as a fan to watch India play the West Indies, then as a ball boy in the 1987 World Cup to winning the 2011 World Cup, and ultimately playing his last international game against the West Indies at the same venue.

"From being a 10-year-old boy who was sneaked into the North Stand with only 24 tickets for 25 eager fans, to having my statue unveiled at the iconic Wankhede, life has truly come full circle. I still remember our joyous chants, the camaraderie of that group, and the overwhelming support of the
@NorthStandGang over the years. To think that I first stepped foot in Wankhede as a fan, then went on to be the ball boy in the '87 World Cup, lifted the 2011 World Cup, and played my last inerly Twitter).ternational game here – it is a journey words can't capture," Tendulkar wrote on X (form

Tendulkar, who is the leading run-scorer across all formats, has 34,357 runs from 664 matches, including a 100 hundreds.

Tendulkar, who retired in 2013, said every batter needs a non-striker as he dedicated the statue to all the cricketers who played with him, his cricket heroes, his teammates, and his colleagues.

"This statue isn't just mine. It is a dedication to every non-striker, my cricket heroes, every teammate, every colleague, who stood by my side, for without them, this journey wouldn’t have been possible. Wankhede, and cricket, you've been very kind," Tendulkar wrote in his latest post on X.

The unveiling of the statue, which was earlier planned for the legend's 50th birthday in April, coincided with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match between India and Sri Lanka.

Also read: World Cup 2023, India vs Sri Lanka: Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Angelo Mathews, and other key players to watch today

Also read: India vs Sri Lanka World Cup 2023: When and where to watch, live streaming details, squads, probable 11, venue, pitch report, win probability, and weather prediction