In a special ceremony in the United Arab Emirates, a famous Sharjah cricket stadium stand was renamed after Sachin Tendulkar in memory of the legendary Indian cricketer on his 50th birthday on Monday.
The famous stadium’s West Stand has been given the new moniker, “Sachin Tendulkar Stand.” The stand was officially named on Monday at a special ceremony that also happened to coincide with the master blaster’s 50th birthday. It also happens to be the 25th anniversary of the legendary Indian batsman’s ‘Desert Storm’ back-to-back centuries against Australia in 1998, which were played in front of a full crowd.
His scores of 143 on April 22 and 134 two days later in the Coca-Cola Cup final—a triangular series involving India, Australia, and New Zealand—have been described as a real “Desert Storm” in the history books.
In 34 different venues during ODI matches, Tendulkar amassed 49 hundreds.
Nevertheless, his 7 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, particularly the double hundreds in April 1998, continue to be praised and cherished by his supporters all over the globe.
Sachin responded in a message to the news that the stand had been named, saying, “I wish I was there, but sadly I had previous responsibilities. Sharjah has always been a fantastic place to play. Sharjah has been a unique location for Indian cricket fans and followers of the game from across the world because of the exhilarating atmosphere and the love, devotion, and support, he added.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to Bukhatir and his crew for this kind gift on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Desert Storm match and my 50th birthday. He is said to have stated, “Feels like the best 6 of them all.
The number of One-Day Internationals played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium (244), which included some of the most iconic moments in cricketing history, holds the Guinness World Record.
This is our little way of thanking Sachin for everything he has done for cricket, according to Khalaf Bukhatir, CEO of the Sharjah Stadium.
“That was an amazing inning, and it happened again in the championship. We have worked hard in Sharjah throughout the years of the now-famous CBFS project to recognise the contributions of numerous outstanding players even after their retirement, according to Bukhatir.
“We believe that it is our duty as administrators to pay tribute to those who have raised the bar and dedicated their lives to the cause of cricket, and we will continue to do so,” the administrator added.
A gate bearing Sachin’s name was also dedicated at Sydney Cricket Ground on Monday in recognition of the cricket legend’s 50th birthday.