Where was Vinod Kambli when his buddy Tendulkar retired?

One man, who used to be Sachin Tendulkar's school-time buddy and later on an India team-mate, was missing in the emotion-filled atmosphere at the Wankhede Stadium on November 16. Vinod Kambli was nowhere to be seen the day his friend Sachin ended his iconic cricket career.

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The Tendulkar-Kambli friendship has many anecdotes attached to it, the most famous being their 664-run partnership during their schooldays while playing for the Shardashram Vidyamandir. But the warmth that the two used to share seems to have gone missing over the last few years.

When contacted to know about his absence from the momentous occasion, the southpaw went to the extent of saying that "it seems as if we have become enemies now" - he told Zee Media.

"I haven't heard Sachin's sound for a long time and it hurts me. It's been seven long years and we haven't met with each other. In between, we just shared a few text messages and that's all. It seems as if we have become enemies now," Kambli told Zee.

But it's not that Sachin's retirement did not touch Kambli's heart. He too, like the millions in India, was moved by the moment. "My eyes also welled up with tears when I saw my friend crying at Wankhede, during his last match," he said.

Kambli wants to bury the hatchet to once again have a good time with his friend in their days as ex-cricketers. "I have always supported him as a friend and as a cricketer. I never stated anything wrong behind his back. I still feel we can be friends once again," he said. "We have shared many good memories in the past. We played together, had fun for 30 long years. And even if I get a call from Sachin now, we can be friends again and you could see me right behind him," he added.

Incidentally, Kambli found no mention in Tendulkar's moving farewell speech and was also not spotted at the dinner party hosted by the Tendulkar family in Mumbai.

"I am deeply hurt. I was expecting my name to be part of his farewell speech. If anything for our famous partnership. It's that world record partnership that was the turning point of our careers. That's when everyone came to know who is Vinod and Sachin. I had a hand in that and our careers started from there. I thought he could have mentioned that part at least," Kambli told in another interview to a TV channel.

"The other shocking part was all his team-mates, friends and family were invited to party after retirement and I was not invited. My family and I were upset, sad and disturbed...All I can say is that he has forgotten me," Kambli added.

Kambli once spoke out about his relationship with Sachin on a reality show Sach Ka Saamna seven years ago, where he said Sachin has not done enough for him. That was perhaps the start of their relations getting sour.