The unveiling of Sachin Tendulkar's statue at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, was indeed a source of pride and joy for everyone who has admired the living legend's craft over the years. The unveiling preceded India's demolition job against Sri Lanka in the 2023 ODI World Cup at the same venue the very next day, with Sachin's heir apparent Virat Kohli narrowly missing out on overtaking his 49 ODI centuries. (IND vs SL Highlights | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
But amid the fanfare for the statue, there has also been a fair degree of ridicule for how it appears similar to Australia batting mainstay Steve Smith. Hoardes of fans and cricket enthusiasts took to social media platforms to point out out the uncanny resemblance to the former Australia captain. Pakistani cricket journalist Shaharyar Ejaz wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the statue "looks like Steven Smith, not Sachin Tendulkar".
Daily Mail sports journalist Lawrence Booth jokingly tweeted that it was a curious choice to put up "a statue of Steve Smith" at Mumbai's Wankhede. An X user replied to Booth, saying it is a "hybrid model of Smith and Sachin".
Meanwhile, another established sports journalist Ben Gardner quote-tweeted Booth with a tongue-in-cheek take. Gardner wrote that the sculptor should have been given more direction than just being asked to do "a statue of the best since Bradman”.
Indian cricket lovers too noticed the similarity. X user Prayag asked why the the Tendulkar statue looks like Steven Smith.
Another Indian user tweeted the image of the statue with the cheeky caption, "Steve Smith statue at Wankhede, Mumbai. Modern great of test Cricket."
All jokes aside, the statue meant a lot to Sachin too, who wrote a heartfelt post on social media. "“To think that I first stepped foot in Wankhede as a fan, then went on to be the ball boy in the ‘87 World Cup, lifted the 2011 World Cup, and played my last international game here – it is a journey words can’t capture. This statue isn’t just mine. It is a dedication to every non-striker, my cricket heroes, every teammate, every colleague, who stood by my side, for without them, this journey wouldn’t have been possible. Wankhede, and cricket, you’ve been very kind,” Sachin tweeted.
