Sachin Tendulkar, the renowned cricketer, graced the unveiling ceremony of the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) in Mumbai on Wednesday.
During his speech at the event, Sachin reminisced about his days of playing ‘gully’ cricket in his youth.
Sachin expressed his belief that he could hold his own against opponents who were “10-12 years older” than him when he participated in street cricket. He mentioned that after playing a few matches at the junior level, he received an invitation to join his brother’s team as a right-handed batter.
The 50-year-old icon further revealed that it was at that moment he realized he had surpassed his street cricket companions, and they aspired to follow in his footsteps.
“I always believed that they were 10-12 years older than me, but I could manage. After playing some matches at the junior level, I emerged as one of the main batters in my age group and scored runs. When I was invited to play with my brother’s team, I felt a sense of pride as I batted alongside my friends. It was then that I realized I was one step ahead of them, having already played with the seniors. Consequently, they wanted to emulate my success,” Sachin stated during the event.
He also mentioned that during his younger days of playing street cricket, representing India never crossed his mind.
Sachin disclosed that he initially started playing cricket with a tennis ball. He emphasized that his illustrious 24-year international cricket career began with a tennis ball.
“The remarkable aspect was that during that time, the thought of playing for India never entered our minds, as season ball cricket was not prevalent. However, playing cricket with a tennis ball, driven by passion and love for the game, paved the way for my journey. Those 24 years of international cricket were truly beautiful, and it all began with a tennis ball,” he concluded.
