Sunil Gavaskar immortalised: Little Master's life-size statue unveiled at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was immortalised on Saturday. A life-size statue was unveiled on Saturday evening at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The statue was unveiled as the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) inaugurated the Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum. At the grand entrance, visitors can spot the life-size statues of Gavaskar and Sharad Pawar. The Little Master Gavaskar is inarguably one of the greatest batters to come out of India, and hence a statue is a testament to his legacy. Sunil Gavaskar, immortalised as a life-size statue, was unveiled at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium

It must be mentioned that a grand statue of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar was unveiled in 2023 during the ODI World Cup. Speaking of Gavaskar, the former India captain was a part of India's iconic 1983 World Cup triumph.

Gavaskar then also led India to a famous victory in the 1985 World Championship of Cricket after the side defeated arch-rival Pakistan in the summit clash.

Speaking about the special occasion, Gavaskar, in an official statement, said, “I must say I’ve always considered myself a student of cricket history. In our playing days, there were no videos - only books and magazines. We learned from reading, from autobiographies, and from the written word.”

“That’s why seeing this museum makes me genuinely happy. MCA has done a wonderful job, not just for Mumbai cricket but for Indian cricket as a whole. Young players who visit will find inspiration in the stories and history preserved here,” he added.

Gavaskar, who made his Test debut in 1971, is regarded as one of the greatest opening batters of all time. His game was modelled on pitch-perfect defence. He could stay at the crease for hours without dropping a sweat. Back in the day, he batted against the likes of the famous West Indies pace quartet, taking on Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, and more.

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Gavaskar was also involved in mouth-watering battles with the likes of Richie Benaud, Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan and Ian Botham. The Little Master played 125 Tests and 108 ODIs for India, scoring more than 13,000 across both formats of the game.

The right-handed batter was also the first player in the sport's history to score 10,000 runs in Tests. He achieved the feat against Pakistan in 1987 in Ahmedabad.

‘Future generations can connect’

Gavaskar also stated that the Sharad Pawar Museum at the Wankhede Stadium will help the future generation to connect with and learn from the sport's glorious past.

Recently, former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar donated his jersey from the iconic 1976 Lord's Test against England. As reported by Mid-Day, Rohit Sharma also donated his bat and jersey from the 2023 ODI World Cup.

“For years, I felt a museum was needed to showcase our rich cricketing heritage, and MCA has brought that vision to life in a commendable way. What makes it even more special is the digital presentation, because while we don’t have old videos, technology now allows us to recreate and present cricket from the days before television,” said Gavaskar.

“This way, future generations can connect with and learn from the game’s glorious past,” he added.

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