31 October,2023 05:27 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sachin Tendulkar`s statue at Wankhede/PTI
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), on Wednesday, will unveil a statue of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar at his beloved Wankhede Stadium, which holds special significance for him, according to a report in ANI. The report further stated the life-size statue of Tendulkar, a cricket icon with a remarkable 200-Test career and records galore, will be revealed on the eve of the India-Sri Lanka ICC World Cup 2023 match. The unveiling ceremony will have the presence of Tendulkar himself, who boasts an incredible 15,921 Test runs and a staggering 18,426 ODI runs.
Final preparations are underway for the statue installation, located near the Sachin Tendulkar Stand at Wankhede Stadium, stated the report. This statue is a tribute to the 50 years of his life, as he celebrated his 50th birthday in April this year.
According to ANI report, for the unveiling event scheduled for November 1, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis will be in attendance.
It's worth noting that Tendulkar bid farewell to his illustrious cricket career at Wankhede Stadium, where a stand bears his name. His 200th and final Test match was played at the Wankhede in November 2013.
Chief of Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Amol Kale had previously told mid-day.com that the statue would be unveiled during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup and that it will be the first instance of a player's statue being installed at the stadium.
ICC World Cup 2023
Shifting the focus to India's performance in the ongoing ICC tournament, the host team has been on a winning streak, securing victories in six consecutive games at the start of their quest for the Cricket World Cup trophy. India's success in the tournament has been notably strong when bowling first and then successfully chasing targets set by their formidable batting lineup.
Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma have been leading the way, guiding India to five second-inning victories, including a thrilling win against New Zealand with four wickets and two overs to spare.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, the 1996 World Cup champions, found themselves in a challenging position following their recent loss to Afghanistan. They now face the daunting task of winning their remaining three games, including a tough match against tournament hosts India, to have any hope of advancing to the last four.
