- The work was unveiled with great fanfare earlier this week
- The statue represents one of the best hitters in recent history
- Fans don’t know who is represented
A new statue of one of cricket’s greatest batters has left fans of the sport scratching their heads as they try to determine whether it is Indian great Sachin Tendulkar or current Australian star Steve Smith.
The remarkable similarity between the two men and the sculpture has even led some supporters to joke that it was a hybrid of the two men, or that the artist was simply ordered to create a depiction of the ” best cricketer since Bradman” and had bets either way. .
It’s no wonder cricket fans aren’t sure whether the new statue (pictured) is dedicated to Sachin Tendulkar or Steve Smith.
Perplexed?
The answer is Sachin Tendulkar.
The statue of the greatest known as ‘Little Master’ was unveiled at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, just a day before India’s World Cup match against Sri Lanka.
Tendulkar was present as his portrait was displayed at the ground on which he played his last Test match.
His statue – which was created by Pramod Kamble and placed between the Sachin Tendulkar Stand and the Vijay Merchant Pavilion – shows him playing a huge shot straight onto the ground, and the 50-year-old was also presented with a replica of the work by art to put. on his fireplace.
The answer is Tendulkar, also known as ‘Little Master’, who was immortalized at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium – a ground close to his heart.
Some cricket fans joked that the sculptor was depicting Smith (pictured playing at the World Cup last month) after being commissioned to base his work on “the best player since Bradman”.
Tendulkar (pictured receiving a replica of the statue at its inauguration) wrote “this statue is not just mine” – and many bemused sports fans agreed with him.
This ground is close to his heart as it is where he lifted the World Cup trophy in 2011 and also represented Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
“From being a 10-year-old boy sneaking into the North Stand with just 24 tickets for 25 enthusiastic fans, to unveiling my statue at the iconic Wankhede, it truly has come full circle,” Tendulkar tweeted after the unveiling.
“This statue is not just mine. It is a dedication to all the non-strikers, my cricketing heroes, every teammate, every colleague who stood by me, because without them, this journey would not have been possible.
Many fans agreed with his statement that the artwork “isn’t just mine,” as they took to social media to share their confusion over the identity of the artwork. ‘art.
“They probably should have given the sculptor more direction than just ‘make a statue of the best since Bradman,'” one wrote on X.
A fan shared his hilarious take on Tendulkar’s reaction to discovering that the statue looks remarkably like the former Australian Test captain.
Another cricket fan had his own theory on why the artwork looks like the two stars
“Why does Sachin Tendulkar’s statue look like Steven Smith?” »added another fan.
“Curious choice to erect a statue of Steve Smith at the Wankhede in Mumbai,” joked a third.
India have already secured a place in the World Cup semi-finals after beating Sri Lanka by 302 runs after knocking them out for just 55 runs on Thursday.
Steve Smith and Australia can all but secure another semi-final berth if they beat a struggling England team at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday evening Australian time.
Their preparation was hampered by the loss of stars Glenn Maxwell – who suffered a concussion in a freak accident on a golf course – and Mitchell Marsh, who returned home to Australia on Thursday to sort out a family matter.
