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'Don't think I would've been able to go home after that': Tendulkar reveals he turned down 'disrespectful' ad in 1998
India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar revealed how he turned down an advertisement in 1998 because it was ‘disrespectful’ towards the sport.
Sachin Tendulkar is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters to have ever played the game. The ‘master blaster’, as he was fondly called, holds the record for most runs in Tests and ODIs, and has also scored the most number of centuries in international cricket (100). Since making his debut in 1989, Tendulkar drew praise wherever he toured with the Indian team for his incredible batting prowess; however, one of his greatest outings came in Sharjah in 1998, when he smashed 143 off 131 deliveries against Australia in an ODI.
The innings was nicknamed ‘Desert Storm in Sharjah’ and it cemented Tendulkar's stature as one of the greatest players in the game. Over 24 years later, the former India batter, during a freewheeling conversation with host Gaurav Kapur for an event, made a big revelation about an advertisement he was approached for – right after the Sharjah tour.
Tendulkar revealed that he rejected the ad because it was “disrespecting” to the sport, and had its script changed.
“It happened in 1998 after the desert storm tour in Sharjah. We came back and one of the sponsors wanted to shoot an ad where cricket balls were coming at me and with a fly swatter, I'm hitting them outside the stadium. So, I turned down the ad, I said you have to change the script because this is disrespecting my sport and I worship my sport. I will not be shooting for this ad,” Tendulkar revealed during a chat in an event organised by Infosys.
“Fortunately, they did (change the script). I don't think that after shooting that ad, I would have been able to go back home or even go back to my coach. That wasn't something they had taught me. They had inculcated right values and I stand by those values,” Tendulkar further said.
In a 24-year-long career, Tendulkar represented India in 200 Tests and 463 ODIs, as well as a single T20I. He retired from all forms of the game in 2013 but continues to take part in unofficial matches from time to time; his last cricketing appearance came in October 2022 in the Road Safety World Series, where he led the India Legends side to victory in the final against Sri Lanka Legends.
