NFT India: Sunil Gavaskar launches virtual hall of fame, gets on the NFT market

Sunil Gavaskar's NFT collection is called Always First, a nod to the fact that he was the first to achieve milestones like 10,000 Test runs in world cricket. (File Photo)

The original Little Master is also the original sports entrepreneur.

Sunil Gavaskar was the first Indian sports star to endorse multiple brands and fructify his commercial potential beyond the field. Now, at 72, he continues to be a trendsetter. On October 11, the former Indian captain-turned-commentator announced a non-fungible tokens (NFTs) drop of the "Sunil Gavaskar collection" on his Instagram account.

“I’m launching my Virtual Hall of Fame and the first ever NFT drop. The Sunil Gavaskar collection,” Gavaskar said. Those interested in the collection have to sign up on alwaysfirst.io.

Also read: NFT India: Rishabh Pant to drop cricket collectibles soon

The theme ‘Always first’ is a nod to Gavaskar’s pioneering feats in world cricket.

“I’ve been blessed to have been always first,” Gavaskar said in the Instagram post. “The first to get to 30 Test centuries, and then to get to 34 Test centuries, the first to get to 10,000 Test runs.”

The collection’s home page says, “The ‘Always First’ Official NFT Collection from Sunil Gavaskar pays significant attention to the many world firsts that he achieved during his career. These moments and highlights have been curated and digitised for fans and collectors across the globe to own forever as Non-Fungible Tokens.”

Access to the main NFT Series begins by purchasing an NFT access ticket to the Gavaskar Virtual Hall of Fame.

Also read: AB de Villiers launches his NFT collection on horse racing ecosystem DeRace

Despite the passage of time and the emergence of several modern superstars in Indian cricket, Gavaskar’s stature endures. Not only was he the first to reach the milestones mentioned earlier, he achieved them as an opener, facing a new ball against some of the toughest bowlers in history, such as the intimidating West Indian pace attack, to give one example. The wickets were not as homogenous as they are today, either; nor were bats as thick. To this day, Gavaskar, who led India to a memorable win in the 1985 World Championship of Cricket, is rated the greatest opener India has produced.