Sachin Tendulkar statue was unveiled on Wednesday at the Wankhede stadium. The MCA (Maharashtra Cricket Association) built this statue as a rich tribute to the great cricketing legend and icon, and to honor his career of 24 years and his life of 50 years.
The statue immortalizes Mumbai’s homeboy, Sachin Tendulkar, and his legacy. A decade ago, Tendulkar had played his last international match at the Wankhede. The giant sculpture of Tendulkar, which was designed by Pramod Kamble, is positioned between the Sachin Tendulkar Stand and the Vijay Merchant Pavilion.
Some other legendary cricketers of the past eras also have statues in their names in cricket stadiums: Don Bradman at the Adelaide Oval, WG Grace at Lord’s, Garfield Sobers at Barbados, Viv Richards at St John’s, and Shane Warne at the MCG.
The statue is modeled in the shape of Tendulkar playing a lofted straight drive.
Interestingly, fans found an uncanny similarity between the face of Sachin Tendulkar’s statue and Australian batsman Steve Smith.
As soon as the photo of the statue’s face from a close camera angle went viral on social media, fans were promptly left in the thought of Steve Smith whose face uncannily resembled this statue’s face! This led to a spate of reactions on Twitter where fans claimed that it was Steve Smith’s statue.
Is it Sachin Tendulkar or Steve Smith’s statue at the Wankhede? Check out some funny memes and reactions:
Taking to Twitter, Sachin Tendulkar tweeted: “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 international game here – it is a journey words can’t capture.
“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.”
