When the legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar had began his Cricketing journey under the veteran coach Ramakant Achrekar, the 10-year-old did not take long to impress the city of Bombay with his remarkable batting skills.
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By the age of 12, he had become a crucial player for as many 13 different teams, and on a given Sunday at Bombay’s famous Shivaji Park, he could be seen playing for at least half-a-dozen teams from dawn till dusk.
Greatness seemed to have beckoned him three years later in February 1988, when he had stitched together a mammoth 664-run stand alongside his childhood friend and team India batter Vinod Kambli, during the Harris Shield tournament.
In fact, the ‘Master Blaster’ had averaged a jaw-dropping 1,034 in the year 1987, and had become part of the media headlines and later also managed to garner the attention of his idol – the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who would also introduce him to the members of the Indian team squad for the 1987 World Cup.
A renowned BCCI President sponsored 14-year-old Sachin Tendulkar’s entire trip to UK
A few months post the aforementioned partnership alongside Kambli and having smashed truckload of runs in the Bombay school circuit during the period, Raj Singh Dungarpur, former Rajasthan medium-pacer who later on also serve as the BCCI president was more than just impressed with the 14-year-old’s batting talent.
Under former Rajasthan pacer- turned administrator Kailash Gattani, Raj Singh decided to sent Tendulkar to the United Kingdom and play for the Star Cricket Club.
However, not quite financially well-off to bear the expenses of a foreign trip, it was not an easy decision for Tendulkar’s family to make.
Raj Singh Dungarpur came to the rescue of the teenager, and made sure to arrange a sponsor for him who would manage his entire trip expenses.
Tendulkar was then sponsored by the Young Cricketers organisation in Kolkata, where Jyotsna Poddar took keen interest.
“Raj bhai again was instrumental in finding a sponsor for me and making sure that I left on that plane. I clearly remember I met him here at the club (Star Cricket) and he said in his own style: “Tumhi cricket khelaayche, baakiche kaam maazyawarti sodaayche (you play cricket, leave the rest to me)”. With that kind of support and encouragement, all you want to do is go out and score as many runs as possible because that is something which made him happy,” remarked Sachin in the year 2014.
