Abu Dhabi: It was almost a surreal experience to see the Little Master back at the nets on Tuesday — albeit only for the benefit of the Mumbai Indians players and a handful of security men.
The speculation over Sachin Tendulkar’s arrival as the “icon” of his erstwhile Indian Premier League (IPL) team ended when he spent more than an hour with them during the final practice session before the season opener against Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday. And, if Tuesday’s level of involvement is any indication, then one can assume that his role in the team will be more than an ornamental one.
“He will be at the dugout for our matches as an icon of the team,” confirmed Leeladhar Singh, media manager of Mumbai.
Confusion set in over his exact role as Anil Kumble, the spinning legend, had been the mentor of the team and there are restrictions in the IPL rule book about presence in the dugouts.
Commenting on Tendulkar’s presence later, Indians coach John Wright said: “He has been a big part of the Mumbai Indians group much longer than someone like myself. For him, the team holds a special place in his heart and it is great to have him around, particularly for the youngsters. They will look up to him and so it’s great to have him with us.”
Sweating it out under a merciless sun at the Oval I ground next to the Zayed Cricket Stadium here, Rohit Sharma and company were in for a pleasant distraction when Tendulkar walked in. Clad in a team practice shirt and blue shorts, the batting legend looked to have put on a few extra kilos since he left the game last November, but was as enthusiastic at the nets as in his playing days.
He spent a long time chatting with Rohit, under whose captaincy Mumbai Indians won their first IPL crown last year. Tendulkar then went on to correct the follow-through of the drive of a number of batsmen, apart from giving them throwdowns. Finally, he rounded off by bowling all conceivable variety of deliveries at the batsmen even as most members of the squad had dispersed.
As he walked off the ground, Tendulkar stopped for a bit of banter with Piyush Chawla, the Indian leg spinner and a member of the rival Kolkata Knight Riders team. And he readily agreed to pose for snaps with the net bowlers, whose day was certainly made.
It was possibly his first public appearance with a cricket bat in hand since that emotional farewell after the Mumbai Test against the West Indies last November. Tendulkar had been keeping a low profile since then, dividing his time between his family, being a Member of Parliament and the occasional public appearance.
All that, of course, may change during the course of IPL-7 through April and May.
