Monitoring Desk
LAHORE: The Sharjah Cricket Stadium has paid tribute to the Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar on his 50th birthday by renaming a stand after him. The announcement was made on Monday during a ceremony held at the venue in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The ‘West Stand’ has now been renamed the ‘Sachin Tendulkar Stand’ in recognition of the former India captain’s outstanding achievements in cricket. Tendulkar had played an incredible innings of 143 runs against Australia at the stadium in April 1998 during a One-Day International match that was later known as ‘Desert Storm’.
The match had witnessed a 25-minute disruption due to a sand storm, and Tendulkar’s knock guided India to the tri-series final against Australia, which India won by six wickets with Tendulkar striking 134 runs on his 25th birthday.
The Chief Executive of Sharjah Cricket, Khalaf Bukhatir, spoke about the memorable occasion, saying, “I can’t forget his birthday celebrations. It mesmerized the whole audience, and I feel lucky to have been there. That day is not just special to Sachin but special to everyone who witnessed it.”
Meanwhile, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) also paid tribute to Tendulkar on the same day by unveiling a set of gates named after him and West Indies batsman Brian Lara.
Tendulkar, who retired from professional cricket in 2013, remains an iconic figure in the world of cricket, with an unmatched 100 international centuries to his name, achieved during his glittering 24-year career.
