Watch: Sachin Tendulkar uses iconic Gujarati catchphrase as he, BCCI felicitate India Under-19 girls for World Cup glory
Sachin Tendulkar felicitated the newly-crowned Shafali Verma-led unit, who won the inaugural edition U-19 Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa on Sunday.
Legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar graced the fans at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad ahead of the third and final T20I between India and New Zealand on Wednesday. The batting maestro felicitated the newly-crowned Shafali Verma-led unit, who won the inaugural edition U-19 Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa on Sunday. Tendulkar along with BCCI secretary Jay Shah and others also presented the team with a ₹5 crore cheque.
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As Tendulkar took the centerstage, the entire stadium burst into the iconic "Sachin Sachin" chants and the same was also felt on social media. The batting legend also hailed BCCI for the upcoming Women's Premier League, claiming "it will be one of the biggest tournament in world cricket."
In an apt reply, Sachin used the iconic 'Kemcho' line to address the crowd's respect. "Kemcho Ahmedabad? Majaa-ma?," he said, which means 'How are you doing, Ahmedabad? Enjoying'.
"Firstly I would like to congratulate out Women's Under-19 cricket team for winning the World Cup. What a fabulous achievement. I can assure you that the entire nation and well-wishers of Indian cricket will celebrate and cherish this victory for years to come."
Tendulkar during his note recalled his introduction to the sport and hailed the pioneers in women's cricket for laying a solid platform for young girls to excel in cricket. "My dream started in 1983, when I was just 10 years young. I would like to thank the past players who made it possible for the girls in the country to dream big. Diana Edulji, Anjum Chopra, Mithali Raj, Jhulan, and many others," he said.
He also congratulated the young cricketers. "By winning this World Cup, you have given a dream to young girls in India, to represent the country. The beginning of the WPL is going to be the biggest thing. I believe in equality for men and women, and not just in sports. There should be equal opportunity," he further said.
Coming back to the match, India won the toss and opted to bat, but lost star opener Ishan Kishan early on 1 (3). There was just one change in India's XI as Umran Malik came in place of Yuzvendra Chahal. Both India and New Zealand have won one-match each in the three-match series.
