During the recently concluded India Today Conclave 2023, the legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar was invited as an eminent guest on a day which marked the completion of two decades of the famous Indian victory against Pakistan, during the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
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Sachin Tendulkar spoke his heart out on various incidents and memories from his 24-year-long illustrious international career via some rarely seen photographs of him from the past.
While he revealed how he was pretty unamused by Ian Bothom’s reaction post dismissing him on his World Cup debut match, he also delved into what it would need to take to ensure optimum health of Test Cricket going forward.
There were also quite some fun moments from the Conclave, wherein he left everyone shell-shocked and slack-jawed with his amazing memory retention, as he would utter out the exact details of his various dismissals from any contest he was involved in during his career.
The ‘Master Blaster’ also showcased his witty side and made sure he did not let go the opportunity to once again troll one of his best friends, and former India captain-cum former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.
Sachin Tendulkar trolls Sourav Ganguly when asked whether he’d take up a BCCI role
With the conclave opened up for Tendulkar’s interaction with members from the audience, one of them asked whether or not he is keen on taking up the BCCI president’s role or any other post of the board in the future.
An excited Tendulkar, even before the gentleman finished his entire question, interrupted him and perhaps found an opportunity to pull Ganguly’s leg as an answer to the question.
“Nahi maine itni zyada fast bowling nahi ki because Sourav still considered himself as a fast bowler. Mujhe yaad hai jab Sourav ne Toronto mein wicket nikale the, tab Sourav mujhe almost kehne lage ki, ‘yaar main thoda aur dum lagaunga to 140 tak jaa sakta hun’! Maine kaha dada tu jaa sakta hai, usne do din practice ki aur peeth pakdi. After that he has never spoken about 140! (No, I haven’t bowled fast a lot, because Sourav considered himself as a fast bowler. I remember when Sourav picked a wicket in Toronto, he told me, ‘if I put in some effort, I can bowl above 140 clicks’. I told him Dada why not. He practiced for a couple of days and held his back. Post that he has never spoken about 140),” remarked Tendulkar.
Sourav Ganguly became first Indian cricketer in 65 years to become BCCI president in 2019
Ganguly had, in the year 2019, become the first Indian cricketer after 65 years to have been appointed as BCCI president.
In October 2022, former India all-rounder Roger Binny was selected as the board’s 36th president, as the BCCI appointed back-to-back former Cricketers for the president post for the first time ever.
The first Indian Cricketer to have served as BCCI president was Maharajah of Vizianagram (between 1954 and 1956).
