When Sachin Tendulkar turned out in Pakistan jersey before debut

New Delhi: In a surprising and lesser-known chapter of cricket history, Sachin Tendulkar, who is India’s greatest batter ever, once fielded for a short period of time for Pakistan during a festival match at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

At that time, Tendulkar was just a 15-year-old kid, not yet the cricketing great he became later. During Pakistan’s tour of India when Javed Miandad and Abdul Qadir left the field during the lunch break, Sachin Tendulkar was called to serve as a substitute fielder for Imran Khan’s team.

In a rare and unusual moment, Sachin Tendulkar briefly donned a Pakistan jersey while fielding in the outfield, marking a unique instance where the future cricket legend played for his rivals.

Imran sent Sachin at long-on, it wasn’t long before Kapil Dev hit a high ball in his direction. Despite his best effort and a 15-metre sprint forward, Tendulkar was unable to reach the ball.

In his autobiography, ‘Playing It My Way’, Sachin Tendulkar recalled the unusual incident of briefly playing for Pakistan and shared that he later complained to a friend. He believed that if he had been positioned at mid-on instead of long-on, he would have been able to catch the ball.

This moment stands as a captivating footnote in Tendulkar’s legendary career, reflecting his early passion and commitment to cricket, even in such an unexpected scenario.