Sharjah Stadium names stand after Tendulkar

In a move aimed to honour Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, the West Stand at the historic Sharjah cricket stadium has been renamed after the legendary cricketer in a special ceremony to coincide with the Indian cricket legend’s birthday.

The stand was named after Sachin on Monday (April 24) as it coincided with the birthday of the legend and also marked the 25th anniversary of the famous back-to-back centuries he scored against Australia in 1998 in a packed stadium.

Notably, the famous 143 Tendulkar had scored in Sharjah on April 22 and two days on April 24, he slammed 134 in the final of the Coca-Cola Cup, a triangular series between India, Australia, and New Zealand, which has been recorded in the history books as a veritable desert storm.

Tendulkar slammed 49 hundreds in ODIs and played across 34 stadiums but his seven tons at Sharjah Cricket Stadium including the twin hundreds in April 1998 stand out and are lauded and celebrated by his fans around the world to this day.

After renaming the stand, the Sharjah Cricket Stadium has joined the historic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in honouring the Indian legend in this manner on the occasion of his 50th birthday.

Reacting to the news of naming the stand, Sachin said in a message, “I wish I was there but unfortunately I had prior commitments. Playing in Sharjah has always been a magnificent experience.”

“From the electrifying atmosphere to the love, affection and support, Sharjah has been a special venue for Indian cricket fans and lovers of the game from around the globe. It’s given us so many special moments. A big thank you to Mr Bukhatir and his team for this kind gesture on the 25th anniversary of the Desert Storm match and my 50th birthday. Feels like the greatest 6 of them all!,” he added.

Significantly, the Sharjah Cricket Stadium still holds the Guinness record for most One-Day internationals played (244) and have seen some of the most memorable moments in cricketing history.

Commenting on the decision to pay this tribute to Sachin on the anniversary of Desert Storm the CEO of the Sharjah stadium, Khalaf Bukhatir said: “This is our small way of expressing our gratitude to Sachin for doing so much for the game of cricket. Indeed, that was an incredible innings, and it was repeated in the finals.”

“Right through the years of the now legendary CBFS initiative we have striven here at Sharjah to acknowledge the services of many great players even after their retirement. We believe that as administrators it is our duty to pay tribute to those who have raised the bar and dedicated their lives to the cause of cricket, and we will continue to do so,” he added.

News Desk

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