Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo Source: Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was present during the inauguration of the first edition of the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) in Mumbai on Wednesday, January 31. At the event, the organisers announced the co-owners of the six teams as Bollywood power couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan will manage Kolkata, while Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Suriya, and Ram Charan are named as the owners of Mumbai, Srinagar, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad respectively.
Tendulkar, who is an investor and a core committee member of ISPL, stated the importance of co-owners for the success of the tournament and also recalled the days when he used to play cricket in the streets of Mumbai.
“The co-owners will play an important part in realising ISPL’s core vision of encouraging and finding emerging cricketing talent through a professional league format with a tennis ball. I wish them all the best as they embark on this new association with the game!” Tendulkar was quoted as saying by India Today.
He added that the thought of representing the national team never crossed his mind while playing with the tennis ball. The 50-year-old added that he started playing with his brother’s team and gradually moved to professional cricket.
“I always believed that they were 10-12 years older than me, but I could manage. After playing some matches at the junior level, I emerged as one of the main batters in my age group and scored runs.
“The remarkable aspect was that during that time, the thought of playing for India never entered our minds, as season ball cricket was not prevalent. However, playing cricket with a tennis ball, driven by passion and love for the game, paved the way for my journey. Those 24 years of international cricket were truly beautiful, and it all began with a tennis ball,” the former cricketer added.
Meanwhile, alongside Sachin, Ashish Shelar, Ravi Shastri, Amol Kale, and Suraj Samat are also part of the committee. Notably, the first set of matches for the inaugural season is scheduled between March 6 and 15, in Mumbai.
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