Exclusive - I Started Playing Cricket Because 'Sachin Tendulkar Se Milna Tha': S Sreesanth

S Sreesanth was the first from Kerala to feature in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). He incidentally started his career as a leg-spinner before growing up to be a fast bowler. As a youngster, S Sreesanth was one of the many Indians, who was fascinated with the great Sachin Tendulkar. In fact, the master blaster, besides his love of the game was one of the reasons that he started playing cricket.

When Sreesanth started his career in 2005, it looked like India have found a new fast bowler, who will go to distance. He was a part of India’s success story in 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup and earn accolades from someone like MS Dhoni but his outrageous behaviour somewhere came in the way.

2011 World Cup triumph was special for me: S Sreesanth

Sreesanth is set to make a comeback in competitive cricket after his ban ends in September 2020. Recalling his time with the national team, before his alleged involvement in the IPL match-fixing scandal, Sreesanth said that the 2011 World Cup triumph will be always speial to him.

More so, because he dreamt of playing along side Sachin Tendulkar since he watched him play a Test match in Kochi from the gallery with his friends. Sreesanth, as a youngster, also used to fill up competition forms sponsored by an energy drink to meet up the great, and went on to achieve his dreams.

“For me, 2011 World Cup triumphs was very special, because when I look back, I started playing cricket only for the love of the game and to be very honest ‘Tendulkar se milna tha’, Sachin paaji to milne ke liye’,  I was sitting in the gallery and I watched the first match where Agarkar made his debut and Sacin paaji got a five-fer in Kochi, I was sitting,” S Sreesanth told CricketAddictor.

“We were in the gallery, could hardly see anything, most of them were going because Australia was on a winning streak, they were almost winning and then suddenly, Sachin paaji comes and takes wickets from Steve Waugh to Michael Bevan and it was great sight to watch, at that point of time, I was a leg spinner, used to copy Anil Kumble and Shane Warne and suddenly I was like Tendulkar paaji bowls leg spin, Sachin Tendulkar bowls leg-spinner too.

“From there was Boost competition, I used to fill in….so why 2011, I’ve to tell you the backstory that just to meet him or take aashirwaad, I ended up playing with him, ended up getting him out in the first class match,” he added.

Sreesanth has 87 Test wickets and 75 ODI wickets to his name.