Cricket fans can’t tell if new statue is Steve Smith or Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar – so can you pick who has been immortalised?
- The artwork was unveiled earlier this week to much fanfare
- Statue depicts one of the best hitters in recent history
- Supporters are confused about who is depicted
A new statue of one of cricket’s greatest players has fans of the sport scratching their heads as they try to figure out whether it depicts Indian great Sachin Tendulkar or current Australian star Steve Smith.
The remarkable similarity between both men and the statue even led some supporters to joke that it was a hybrid of the pair, or that the artist was just told to create an image of the ‘best cricketer since Bradman’ and had a bet Closed. .
It’s no wonder cricket fans have been confused as to whether the new statue (pictured) is dedicated to Sachin Tendulkar or Steve Smith
Stunned?
The answer is Sachin Tendulkar.
The statue of the all-time great, known as the ‘Little Master’, was unveiled at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday, just a day before India’s World Cup match against Sri Lanka.
Tendulkar was present when his image was displayed on the ground where he played his last Test match.
His statue – created by Pramod Kamble and placed between the Sachin Tendulkar Stand and the Vijay Merchant Pavilion – shows him playing a big shot straight into the ground, and the 50-year-old was also given a replica of the artwork to display. on his mantelpiece.
The answer is Tendulkar, also known as the ‘Little Master’, who has been immortalized at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium – a ground close to his heart
Some cricket fans joked that the sculptor depicted Smith (pictured playing in the World Cup last month) after being informed to base the work on ‘the best player since Bradman’.
Tendulkar (pictured receiving a replica of the statue at the unveiling) wrote: ‘This statue is not just mine’ – and many surprised sports fans agreed with him
The ground is close to his heart, as it was here that he lifted the World Cup trophy in 2011 and also represented Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
“From a 10-year-old boy being sneaked into the North Stand with just 24 tickets in front of 25 enthusiastic fans, to the unveiling of my statue at the iconic Wankhede, life has truly come full circle,” Tendulkar tweeted after the unveiling.
‘This image is not just mine. It is a tribute to every non-striker, my cricket heroes, every teammate, every colleague who stood by my side because without them this journey would not have been possible.”
Many fans agreed with his statement that the piece “isn’t just mine,” as they took to social media to share their confusion over who the artwork depicts.
“They probably should have given the sculptor more direction than just ‘make a statue of the best thing since Bradman,'” someone wrote on X.
One fan shared his hilarious take on Tendulkar’s reaction when he discovered the statue looks remarkably like the former Australian Test captain
Another cricket diehard had his own theory as to why the artwork resembles both stars
‘Why does Sachin Tendulkar’s statue look like Steven Smith?’ added another fan.
“A curious choice to put up a statue of Steve Smith in Wankhede in Mumbai,” a third joked.
India has already secured a place in the World Cup semi-finals after beating Sri Lanka by 302 runs after being bowled out by just 55 runs on Thursday.
Steve Smith and Australia are close to securing another place in the semi-finals if they overcome a struggling English 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 flew home on Thursday to attend to a family matter.