Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar's portrait was inaugurated on Thursday (July 10) in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Museum at Lord's, ahead of the start of the third India versus England Test.
During the lunch break, MCC President Mark Nicholas, while honouring Tendulkar, remarked: "You didn't get on the Lord's Honours Board. What happened? High-quality English bowling, I imagine."
Tendulkar was quick to correct Nicholas, reminding him that he had indeed slammed a century at the iconic venue during a charity match played between MCC and the Rest of the World XI in 1998.
Playing for Rest of the World, Tendulkar had scored 125 against a potent bowling attack featuring Glenn McGrath, Javagal Srinath, Allan Donald, Brian McMillan, and Anil Kumble.
“I thought that in 1998, when we played a memorial game, I got a hundred then. Glenn McGrath, Allan Donald, Srinath, Kumble, and McMillan... But one normally thinks about having your name on the Honours Board. Somehow it wasn’t meant to happen, but it did happen,” Tendulkar said.
Sachin Tendulkar also penned a heartfelt note after being honoured by the MCC at the hollowed venue.
"I first visited Lord’s as a teenager in 1988, and returned in 1989 with the Star Cricket Club team," Tendulkar wrote on X.
"I remember standing near the Pavilion, soaking in the history and dreaming quietly.
"Today, to have my portrait unveiled at this very place is a feeling that’s hard to put into words.
"Life has truly come full circle. I’m grateful and filled with wonderful memories."
Recalling his fond memories of Lord’s, Tendulkar said: “It’s a huge honour. 1983, when India won the World Cup, was my first introduction to Lord’s—I saw our captain Kapil Dev lift the trophy. My cricket journey began there. Today, to have my portrait go inside the Pavilion—it has been some journey. When I look back, it brings a smile to my face. I feel I’ve completed the circle. It truly feels special.”
