Vinod Kambli touched legendary Sunil Gavaskar's feet and also met Prithvi Shaw during Wankhede Stadium's 50th-anniversary event on Sunday, the pictures of which went viral on social media. Kambli, who was recently admitted to the hospital for a urinary tract infection (UTI) and cramps, was discharged on New Year's Day.
At the event at Mumbai's iconic Wankhede Stadium, Kambli went on the dias and touched the Little Master's feet. Gavaskar took Kambli in his arms as the duo hugged. The 52-year-old also met youngster Prithvi, who recently came under severe criticism for his indiscipline and poor form.
Besides Gavaskar and Kambli, other cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma and Dilip Vengsarkar will also be part of the Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) grand celebrations.
The likes of former skipper Ravi Shastri, Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav and Diana Edulji are expected to be a part of the event. The main event will be held on January 19 at the Wankhede.
Speaking on the occasion, Gavaskar stated it's an honour for him to be present at the iconic venue that has given Indian cricket a lot. "It is indeed a very big honour for me to be here at this iconic venue that has given Indian cricket so much, the 2011 Cricket World Cup being the icing on the cake," Gavaskar said.
"As an opening batter, I couldn't miss the start, so I am here. I want to wish the MCA all the best and also want to express my deepest sense of gratitude for giving me opportunities since school cricket.
"I am what I am because MCA lifted me and helped me to take those steps and subsequently supported me even when I was playing for India...I want to thank you all for having me here," added Gavaskar.
The MCA will also felicitate the groundsmen and members of the Mumbai team, which played the first first-class match at the Wankhede Stadium in 1974.
Meanwhile, Kambli recalled his double hundred at this venue against England. “I remember I smashed my first double hundred here against England and then went on to score many more hundreds in my career.”
Kambli added, "If anyone wants to play for India like me or Sachin (Tendulkar), then I would advise that you should keep working hard and never leave doing that because that's what Sachin and me did since our childhood days."
On the other hand, Prithvi Shaw, has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently. He went unsold in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction before being excluded from Mumbai's Vijay Hazare Trophy squad. The opening batter is currently focussing on his fitness, the videos of which the cricketer shared on social media.
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