Indian and Mumbai cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar joined the Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad for an interaction as the team prepares for their upcoming quarterfinal against Karnataka. Tendulkar is the most famous and high-profile player to stem from a cricketing fraternity that has produced the country’s greatest cricketers – the Mumbai players couldn’t ask for a better motivational speaker as they aim for a 43rd Ranji Trophy victory.
Having qualified through to the knockout stage unbeaten following four wins and three draws, Mumbai are set to face another titan of the domestic sport in Karnataka in the quarterfinals. Tendulkar had the opportunity to chat with experienced Mumbai stars like Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur, while also being in conversation with the younger up-and-comers like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Musheer Khan.
In a clip shared by the Mumbai Cricket Association, Jaiswal in particular can be seen in deep discussion with Sachin, asking him plenty of questions and picking his brain.
Jaiswal is currently spending time with the Ranji team and honing his red-ball skill, having become India’s go-to Test opener across all conditions alongside KL Rahul.
Sachin gives practical advice to Mumbai batters
Sachin can also be seen demonstrating a variety of tips and drills for the batters, beyond simply sharing words. Clips from the interaction at the MCA Ground in the Bandra-Kurla Complex see the Master Blaster using two bats and then a piece of paper to illustrate some of his talking points, giving the team first-hand advice that is sure to be as valuable as any form of coaching can get.
The leading-scorer in Test cricket and international cricket history, Tendulkar remains a key figure within the sport, with a statue of him in his honour also recently having been inaugurated at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium.
Mumbai will once again be amongst the favourites to reach the finals of the Ranji Trophy and get their hands on a record-extending 43rd title, having dominated the sport on the domestic level since the Ranji Trophy’s foundation. However, they face a spirited Karnataka team, who beat Punjab in a tight contest to seal their own progress.
The two teams meet at the BKC Ground with ambitions of going deep into the tournament once the quarterfinal round begins on Friday morning. The other quarterfinals include Bengal vs Andhra, Jharkhand vs Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh vs J&K.
