India cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday met his childhood friend Vinod Kambli on Tuesday and unveiled a memorial to cricket coach Ramakant Vitthal Achrekar at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park.
In a video shared by Shivaji Park Gymkhana, Sachin walked to Kambli to greet him. ANI reported that the duo, who were pupils of Ramakant Vitthal Achrekar, embraced each other and briefly chatted.
Meanwhile, in a viral video, Kambli is seen singing a Bollywood song from the movie Pyaasa. In a post on X, the caption reads, “Vinod Kambli is just 52, but he has aged beyond his years. It's sad to see his situation and the self-damage he inflicted. A warning for current and upcoming cricketers.”
Watch the video here:
A user replied, “Lost touch for decades after he vanished from cricket , and now I see him—a shadow of who he once was. The decline is staggering. Is this life’s justice? Or, as some might say… Karma at work?”
Another netizen wrote, "Yes very sad he was considered by many in Mumbai more talented than Sachin in his early days but the inability to handle fame money he lost his focus on game and in the absence of. proper mentoring he faded away from the game. With IPL contract more money we may see many Kamblis."
Moreover, during the event, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, former cricketer and Sachin's childhood friend Vinod Kambli, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar, former bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, Pravin Amre, 1983 World Cup-winning player Balwinder Singh Sandhu, and others were also present during the unveiling ceremony of the legendary coach's memorial.
The 52-year-old cricketer Kambli is remembered for his flashy style of play and the maverick approach he infused into the game. Tendulkar and Kambli first made headlines with a record-breaking 664-run partnership for their school, Shardashram Vidyamandir, in a Harris Shield match, where both scored unbeaten triple centuries.
Vinod Kambli has put on his Indian ODI jersey over a hundred times, and represented the nation in 17 Test matches. He has nearly 10,000 runs in first-class cricket with a career-best 262 to his credit. Kambli has also featured in a surplus of 200 List A games, amassing nearly 6,500 runs, with an unbeaten 149 runs as his top score.
(With inputs from ANI)
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