New Delhi: Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar said that he was ‘at a loss for words’ after his statue was unveiled at the MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
It was the inauguration of the MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum at the iconic stadium and the statue was revealed alongside former BCCI and ICC president Sharad Pawar. The museum’s opening to the public is on September 22.
One of the greatest opening batters in cricket history, Gavaskar scored 10,122 runs in 125 Test matches he represented India in. At an impressive average of 51.12, he became the first player to cross the 10,000 runs in the longest format of the game. The Mumbai batter also smashed 34 Test centuries which was a record at that time and also captained the Indian cricket team for along time.
In an interaction with media after the unveiling of his statue, the icon said that he is overwhelmed by the honour he has got. ‘I am actually at a loss for words because I am overwhelmed by this unique honour. It doesn’t happen to everybody that there is a statue just outside the museum where there is going to be so much more footfall,’ Gavaskar told the media.
The veteran cricketer also reflected on his journey with Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), comparing it to a mother that supported him from the early days in his life when he wasin school. Gavaskar’s statue commemorates his milestone as the first player to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, achieved during the 1987 Ahmedabad Test against Pakistan.
‘It took me back to that particular time when that ball was bowled and I got to the 10,000th run so yes, it brought back very good memories,’ Gavaskar said when asked about the statue.
He dedicated this honour to all those he played cricket with, acknowledging that without their support, this achievement wouldn’t have been possible.
(With PTI inputs)