It will be the first instance of a player's statue being installed at the iconic stadium.
It will be the first instance of a player's statue being installed at the iconic stadium. The statue will be unveiled during the ICC Cricket World Cup in India later this year.
The MCA is celebrating the Golden Jubilee year of the batting maestro at the Wankhede and the statue is a part of the celebration.
Tendulkar was present at the MCA with Amol Kale and interacted with reporters.
"This decision is a pleasant surprise for me, 1988 is when it all started at the Wankhede. The journey started here for me. Played my first Ranji match here. Long ago, Achrekar sir reprimanded me here and from thereon I became a serious cricketer. I played my last match at this very venue. Life has come full circle for me here. I have wonderful memories of this place, some memorable and some not-so-good. It's a big moment for me," Sachin said.
Recalling his memories of Wankhede, Tendulkar said: "I am still a 25 -year-old with 25 years of experience I would say. It's good and I would like to thank the MCA for this really great gesture. It's a very special place for me and a lot of things happened in my career because of the MCA."
“The amount of time that I have spent here is second to none and I have enjoyed being here and playing here. A special place for me. I got the message from MCA regarding the statue and it's a special occasion for me. I came here to discuss the type of statue that will be created and to identify a place for it. Things such as these are rare and unique," he added.
MCA President Amol Kale revealed that the statue will be unveiled during the 2023 ODI World Cup.
“We will unveil the statue during the World Cup as a lot of members from the cricket fraternity will be here and will try to make it a grand occasion," Kale said.
In a career spanning 24 years, Sachin Tendulkar represented India in 200 Tests and 463 ODIs, scoring the world record number of runs (15921 in Tests and 18426 in ODIs) and centuries (51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs).