Once upon a time, all residents of the chawl used to gather to see him team up with buddy Sachin Tendulkar for matches. His mother would distribute sweets in the neighbourhood when their won.
Kanjur village, where former cricketer Vinod Kambli lived, is not what it used to be. Once upon a time, all residents of the chawl used to gather to see him team up with buddy Sachin Tendulkar for matches. His mother would distribute sweets in the neighbourhood when their won.
Many years later, the place wears a deserted look. Kambli’s three brothers, who still live in the chawl, plan to watch Saturday’s World Cup final indoors with just a couple of friends. They feel this may be the last time they can hope to see Sachin bear the World Cup trophy aloft, as he may retire by the 2015 World Cup.
“We want to see him win the World Cup once. Though he is fit enough to play for several more years, what if he decides to resign before the next edition?” he says.
Virendra, 32, Kambli’s younger brother who plays cricket for a chemical firm in Chembur, says that he misses the fun of watching his brother and Sachin team up, but the residents of the chawl still love to watch Sachin play. “We will all watch the match indoors. The kids in our area may collect some money and put up a big screen for common viewing,” he says.
Virendra, who knew Sachin through Kambli and has met him on several occasions, is hoping he would score his 100th international century in the final. “The team needs to follow the same strategy it did in the semi-final, except that it can’t afford to lose early wickets. If they are batting first, they should ensure that put up an unachievable target,” he says.
With Sachin nearing retirement and his brother already out of international cricket, Virendra fears his locality may no longer witness kids turn into cricketing icons. Builders are taking over the land where children used to play; a tower stands where Kambli and his Friends 11 Club played. “Children in the vicinity have to travel far to play,” he says.
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