“It did hurt me a lot”: The day Vinod Kambli wasn’t invited by Sachin Tendulkar in his post-retirement party

Having grown up studying together in Bombay’s Shardashram high school since 1986/87, the childhood friendship between Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli dates further back by three years when they used to play together in the city’s Shivaji Park, under veteran coach Ramakant Achrekar.

It was upon Achrekar’s insistence that the duo, with the aim of playing better Cricket moved to Shardashram along with yet another dear friend Ricky Cuoto, who later in life went on to become a BCCI panel umpire.

The world came to know about them a year later in February 1998, when they stitched together a 664-run stand for the third wicket during the semi-final match of the much-reputed Harris Shield inter-school Cricket tournament, against St. Xavier’s School.

The duo even went on to play together in the Indian Cricket team for a brief period, although Kambli’s career turned out to be quite short lived.

However, things took a rather ugly turn in the year 2009 when Tendulkar, as per Kambli, stopped communicating with him post his appearance in a television reality show where he had remarked that the former did not help him enough to overcome his self-destructive tendencies.

Vinod Kambli wasn’t invited by Sachin Tendulkar in his post-retirement party

When Tendulkar hung up his boots from international Cricket in November 2013, the entire Cricketing fraternity was left teary-eyed.

The ‘Master Blaster’ had then invited as many as 450 people across different walks of life in his post-retirement party. However, one particular name was missing from the long list – that of Vinod Kambli’s.

Later that month, when Kambli was asked for his comments pertaining the matter, he revealed that the two had not spoken to each other for the past seven years, but do manage to text each other once a while.

He had also expressed his sadness with the fact that Tendulkar did not name and thank him specifically during his farewell speech at the Wankhede Stadium.

“Him not mentioning me in his farewell speech or not giving me an invitation though I’ve been a part of his life since he was 10 years old. Yes, I won’t deny the fact that it did hurt me a lot because he forgot to mention that. The world record partnership was a turning point of our career, without each other’s contribution, I wouldn’t be who I am, and he wouldn’t be our great legend,” Vinod Kambli had remarked.