Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will have one more historical record to his name when the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) announced that the Master Blaster will be commemorated with a giant life-size statue that will be installed inside the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on his 50th birthday i.e April 24, 2023.
The Bharat Ratna awardee is considered the best Indian batter of all time, and the only cricketer to hit 100 centuries across all formats of the game. However, the MCA is unsure about when the statue will be inaugurated, either on his birthday or during the ICC ODI World Cup to be hosted in India later in 2023.
It will be a momentous occasion as Wankhede is like Sachin's home ground. He won the ODI World Cup in 2011 at the same venue, and also the stadium where the legend played his 200th Test and final international match.
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Speaking about the latest in a long list of tributes that Sachin has received, he said, "It's been a journey with unbelievable memories and the best moment of my cricketing career came here when we won the World Cup in 2011. The reason that happened was a long time ago when [Ramakant] Achrekar sir (Sachin's coach) reprimanded me and from there on, I became a serious cricketer. The last international game I played was also at this very ground so it's very special and a great moment for me."
The 49-year-old also has a stand named after him at the Wankhede Stadium, while his wax statue at Madame Tussauds was installed in 2009, making him the first Indian sportsperson to get a replica at the museum on his 36th birthday.
"It will be the first statue in Wankhede Stadium, we will decide where it will be placed. He (Tendulkar) is a Bharat Ratna and everyone knows what he has done for cricket. As he turns 50, it will be a small token of appreciation from the MCA. I spoke to him three weeks ago and his consent was received," Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Amol Kale
told The Indian Express.
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