Vinod Kambli refuses to let go of Sachin Tendulkar's hand as childhood friends share stage together - Watch

Vinod Kambli refuses to let go of Sachin Tendulkar's hand as childhood friends share stage together

India's batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and childhood friend Vinod Kambli shared an emotional moment during the unveiling of legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar's memorial at the iconic Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Tuesday. Achrekar is one of the legendary coaches from the Mumbai circuit and played a key role in shaping the careers of Tendulkar and Kambli.

Both ex-cricketers were students of Achrekar and had grabbed eyeballs by stitching a record 664-run partnership during school days. However, the fate of the two cricketers took different courses as Tendulkar's name got etched in history, while Kambli faded mostly due to controversies both on and off the field.

However, the event at Shivaji Park, which was also attended by other members of the cricket fraternity, saw the two reunite and it didn't take long for the moment to go viral on social media. In the video Tendulkar can be seen walking over to Kambli as the two greet each other. But what was worth noting was Kambli's unwillingness to let go off Tendulkar's hand as both exchanged a brief moment. Even though it appeared that Kambli was reluctant to let go of Tendulkar's hand, he eventually did to allow the latter to take his seat on the stage.

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In another video, Kambli was seen standing next to Tendulkar, embracing his friend and gently playing with his head.

Paras Mambhrey, Pravin Amre, Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Samir Dighe, and Sanjay Bangar were the other members who attended the memorial.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Former Indian Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar met former cricketer Vinod Kambli during an event in Mumbai.(Source: Shivaji Park Gymkhana/ANI) pic.twitter.com/JiyBk5HMTB
ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2024

Tendulkar and Kambli's career trajectory

Tendulkar is regarded as the best batter in modern day cricket and has numerous records under his name. Tendulkar went to accumulate 34,347 runs in his illustrious career, and has 100 international tons from 663 matches from both Tests and ODIs combined .

Kambli, on the other hand, showed great promise but failed to meet his full potential in Indian colours. He had smashed consecutive double centuries in his first two Tests, but his career didn't flourish much as many would have expected. He represented India in just 17 Tests and 104 ODIs before quitting international cricket in 2000.

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Off the field as well Kambli was troubled with something or the other, which also include financial struggles. The ex-cricketer revealed in 2022 that he relies solely on his pension from the BCCI to support his family. Also in another video, which went viral earlier this year, Kambli was seen struggling to walk.