Sachin Tendulkar's new statue, and his bond with his home stadium, Wankhede

On Wednesday, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar revealed a life-size statue of himself at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, the place where he made countless cherished memories, including India's 2011 ICC World Cup victory.

What

• On November 1, a life-size statue of Sachin Tendulkar was unveiled at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, his home ground.
• Present at the ceremony were Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, BCCI secretary Jay Shah, and Vice President Rajeev Shukla.

• Created by Pramod Kamble, a painter-sculptor from Ahmednagar district, the statue's unveiling was delayed from Sachin's 50th birthday in April due to some finishing touches.
• The sculpture depicts Tendulkar showcasing one of his famous cricket shots.

• The statue is placed near the Sachin Tendulkar stand in the stadium, a fitting spot due to Tendulkar's strong bond with the Wankhede Stadium where he has lived many memorable moments of his career, including his last-ever match.

Ranji beginning

Sachin's Ranji Trophy debut at Wankhede showcased his signature style, scoring an unbeaten 100 against Gujarat. One of Tendulkar's most unforgettable Ranji moments occurred in the 1994-95 final. He managed centuries in both innings (140 and 139) against Punjab, contributing significantly to Mumbai's victory, despite a draw.

Mumbai's first innings, featuring stellar performances from Manjrekar, Samir Dighe, Kambli, and Tendulkar, saw them declare at 690 for 6. Punjab was bowled out for 372. In the second innings, Mumbai continued their dominance with Tendulkar and Sairaj Bahutule both achieving hundreds.

In 2013, Tendulkar made a memorable exit from Ranji Trophy. His announcement of retirement turned the match into a big event. Despite a tough pitch in Lahli, Tendulkar's unbeaten 79 runs in the second innings helped Mumbai win against Haryana, starting their season on a high.

A not-so-great Test record
 

Sachin Tendulkar, despite retiring from cricket a decade ago, still sets the gold standard for the sport. His Wankhede Test record doesn't match his usual brilliance, missing out on deserved centuries. Yet, his lowest records could be someone else's best.

In first-class cricket, he scored 3,534 runs with an unbeaten 233, but at Wankhede in 10 Tests, he managed 847 runs, with a top score of 148 (against Sri Lanka in 1996-97), averaging 47.05.

This pales in comparison to his outstanding performances at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, or Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium.

• In 1997, Tendulkar, as captain, scored his only Test century at Wankhede, with 148 runs, but the match ended in a draw due to Sourav Ganguly's brilliant 173.
• Three years later, Tendulkar scored 97 against South Africa, just missing a century, and also took three wickets for 10 runs. But India lost the match.
• In 2001, facing the strong Australian team, Tendulkar scored 76, but India was bowled out for 176 runs, and Australia won by 10 wickets.
• In 2011, Tendulkar fell for 94 against the West Indies, disappointing the crowd as Ravi Rampaul took his wicket.