NEW DELHI: The intention behind immortalising the legendary Sachin Tendulkar through a statue at the Wankhede stadium turned into a big talking point on social media due to its uncanny resemblance to Australian cricketer Steve Smith.
The statue portrays Tendulkar executing a graceful lofted straight drive and was placed near the stand dedicated to him on Thursday.
Observant netizens quickly noticed the resemblance between the statue and Smith, sparking a wave of memes and humorous content circulating across social media platforms.
"It is the Smith era and his impact. That's why it looks like Smith's sculpture. Maybe they made Steve instead of Sachin but it is the power of Smith," a fan wrote on 'X', mocking the resemblance.
Another fan wrote: "To compensate this, Cricket Australia will install Sachin's statue at the SCG after Smith's retirement."
Neither Tendulkar, who was present during the unveiling, nor Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) commented on the response on social media.
The life-sized statue was unveiled on the eve of India's World Cup match against Sri Lanka. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries, including BCCI secretary Jay Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) President Amol Kale, Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar, and Tendulkar's family.
Tendulkar, often regarded as the greatest batter in the history of cricket, has achieved numerous milestones during his illustrious career. With 34,357 runs in 664 international appearances, he is the highest run-scorer in international cricket and the only player to score 100 international centuries.
The unveiling of his statue at Wankhede is a fitting tribute to his extraordinary cricketing journey and enduring legacy.
(With Agency inputs)
