Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli, two prominent students of the late cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar, reunited on Tuesday to unveil their mentor's memorial in Mumbai on his birthday, with Kambli performing a song.
Images of Tendulkar shaking hands with Kambli, who appeared sick and stuttered when addressing the audience, became popular on social media.
Tendulkar and Kambli first made headlines when they stitched a partnership of 664 runs for their school, Shardashram Vidyamandir, in a Harris Shield match. Both scored unbeaten triple centuries in the match.
Kambli was considered to be more talented and gifted than Tendulkar and that was evident from their early days. While Tendulkar made his India debut in 1989, Kambli followed soon in 1991.
The left-hander made headlines after becoming the first Indian to score back-to-back Test hundreds, a feat he achieved in 1993 against Zimbabwe and England. However, a lack of discipline and a huge flaw in his technique against bouncers led to Kambli’s swift decline.
He managed only 17 Tests scoring 1084 runs with 4 centuries to his name. His last Test came in 1994 and his Test career was over before he turned 25.
Kambli did manage to have a good ODI career, playing 104 matches and scoring 2477 runs with 2 centuries. He also played in the 1992 and 1996 World Cups.
On the other hand, Sachin Tendulkar went on to have a legendary career of 24 years, in which he played 200 Tests, 463 ODIs and 1 T20I. He scored 15921, 18426, and 10 runs respectively, along with 51 Test tons and 49 ODIs. He is the only batter with 100 international centuries and leading run-getter in Tests and ODIs.
Coming to the event, Tendulkar had greeted a frail-looking Kambli as he walked onto the stage, and later Kambli was seen singing a line from the famous old Bollywood song 'sar jo tera chakraye ya dil dooba jaaye', at the end of which Tendulkar clapped for his former school and India teammate.
Here is the video: