'Proud to see the brand of cricket India are playing'

Sachin Tendulkar went back in time to when he was a 10-year-old as he recalled his first visit to the Wankhede Stadium, where his statue was unveiled on Wednesday evening in front of political dignitaries, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and senior politician and former BCCI president Sharad Pawar.

- Rasesh Mandani

"It was in 1983 and the West Indies had come to India after the World Cup and the excitement was there. This story probably no one has heard," he said.

"My brother's friends from Bandra in their 30s or 40s decided to watch the match and a certain Sachin was also asked to join. I enjoyed the whole game sitting in the North Stand. That's when I heard someone in the group say, 'acha manage kiya na'. I realised they had only 24 tickets and 25 of us went for the match. Being vertically challenged can be an advantage," he recalled, leaving everyone in splits.