Back in March 2023, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag recounted a humorous incident involving cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. While political tensions between India and Pakistan have intensified in recent years—especially after the tragic terrorist attack targeting Indian tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir in April 2025—there was once a time when the two nations regularly played bilateral series, creating unforgettable cricketing memories for fans on both sides.
Sehwag recalled one such lighter moment from the past, where a visibly drunk Shoaib Akhtar attempted to hoist Sachin Tendulkar onto his shoulder—but ended up failing spectacularly, much to everyone's amusement.
"In a party that was held for Indian and Pakistani cricketers in Lucknow, Akhtar had one too many drinks and he tried to lift Tendulkar. However, Tendulkar was quite heavy for him, and both of them ended up falling on the ground. I could not stop laughing at the incident," Sehwag had said at News 18 Chaupal.
Sehwag kept teasing him that his career could be in danger, as he could have injured the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. The fast-bowler even apologized to the Master Blaster thinking Sachin will complain to the BCCI.
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"I used to tease him a lot. You are out, your career is over. You have dropped our top player. And he was scared, he kept following Sachin everywhere saying sorry and even fell down at his feet. Still, me and Sachin, whenever we sit together, we go back to the incident and laugh about it," Sehwag said.
Earlier, even Akhtar has shared the tale and his side of the story during a conversation with SportsKeeda. He expressed his embarrassment.
"I managed to lift him but then he slipped from my hands. Tendulkar fell down, not that badly, but I thought to myself that 'I am dead'. I feared that if Sachin Tendulkar gets unfit or injured, I would never get an Indian Visa. The Indians would never allow me to come back to the country or would burn me alive."
"When he fell down I really thought I am done for life. I remember Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh were also there and they were telling me, 'what are you doing man?' And I responded saying 'I don't really know, it just happened.'"
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