'Sachin paid for both my surgeries': Vinod Kambli indebted to Tendulkar, bad-mouthed best friend out of 'frustration'
Vinod Kambli said Sachin Tendulkar did everything possible to help him during his tough times.
Vinod Kambli opened up on his relationship with Sachin Tendulkar, recalling how the Master Blaster stood by him during his tough times. Visuals of Kambli emerged during the inaugural Ramakant Achrekar memorial in Mumbai two weeks ago, but they did not paint him in the best of health. While many wondered if Kambli was doing alright, certain sections of the fans felt Tendulkar, his childhood best friend, did not support him during his time of need. However, contrary to that belief, Kambli stated that Tendulkar has stood by him through thick and thin. When Kambli suffered two heart attacks in 2013 – four years after the infamous 'Sachin didn't help me enough' episode, it was Tendulkar who took care of the expenses.
"I was not feeling well. I was driving and suddenly collapsed. My wife didn't waste any time and got me admitted to Lilawati Hospital straightaway. I had two heart attacks. Who even has two? I did. She saw everything. She was sitting next to me; she was crying," Kambli recalled in conversation with Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel.
"We have known each other since we were very young. Tendulkar rose in status. Sachin did everything for me. He helped me and did a lot. I underwent two operations at Lilawati. He took care of it. He paid for both my surgeries – helped financially – in 2013."
From being best friends in school to playing together for Sharadashram Vidyamandir, stitching that mammoth 664-run partnership, representing India in the 1992 and 1996 World Cups, Kambli and Tendulkar have been through it all. However, their relationship hit a rough patch in 2009, when in a reality show titled 'Sach ka Saamna', the Indian adaptation of 'Who Dares Wins', Kambli, when asked to answer a question 'Do you believe Sachin could have done more to save you from your self-destructive behaviour?,' said Yes.
The ups and downs between Vinod Kambli and Sachin Tendulkar
This put a crack in their bond, as Kambli and Tendulkar went more than three years without talking. Tendulkar even skipped Kambli's mention in his teary-eyed retirement speech and didn't invite his once best bud for a get-together at home, which witnessed the who's who of Indian cricket attending the event. In an interview, Kambli had said back then that he felt bad that his childhood friend 'forgot' him.
However, things have improved ever since. Kambli picked up a gig at Tendulkar's Middlesex Global Cricket Academy, as the two started appearing together in Instagram posts. But in 2022, when Kambli resurfaced after a long gap and said that his financial condition was a mess – he was dependent on ₹30000 per month pension from BCCI – it shook up fans again. Then, too, Kambli went on record, acknowledging all that Tendulkar had done to help him out.
What happened in 2009, which forced Kambli to say what he did against Tendulkar, was pure frustration: "It came to my mind back then. It was frustration. I know I said it, but it didn't mean anything. Then we started talking to each other eventually. I gave him a call. Childhood friendship came through," he said.
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