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One video that went viral from the unveiling of legendary cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar's memorial in Mumbai, had two of his famous students - Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli - meeting after a long time. Kambli, who played with Tendulkar in school, state and national teams, looked very frail. He got very emotional as he met Tendulkar, who retired as one of the greatest cricketers ever. Kambli started playing for the national team a few years after Tendulkar and had a great start to his career too. But soon, his form took a downward spiral. Kambli did play 17 Tests and 104 ODIs but could not leave a big mark.
Another video from the same memorial event went viral, where Kambli could be seen singing a song in almost an incoherent way, which led to some social media users making some indecent observations. One of his friends has now clarified that Kambli was just emotional at the event.
"He wasn't drunk or something. He hasn't touched a drop of alcohol for the past one year," Marcus Couto, childhood cricketing friend, told Times of India about Kambli's reaction.
"It's just that he became very emotional during his brief meeting with Sachin, who greeted him nicely on the stage. He was very enthusiastic about meeting Sachin and attending the function."
Remember, Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli are almost the same age. pic.twitter.com/OXoMy094P4
— Sahil Bakshi (@SBakshi13) December 4, 2024
Couto visited Kambli at his residence in Bandra back in August when the first video of him struggling to walk on the street went viral on social media.
Kambli also received support from legendary Indian cricket team captain Kapil Dev. However, Kapil made it clear that that Kambli must be willing to take the first step towards recovery.
"Kapil (Dev, captain of the 1983 team) has told me clearly that if he wants to go to rehab, then we are willing to help him financially," said former India fast bowler Balwinder Singh Sandhu.
"However, he has to check into rehab himself first. Only if he does that, we are ready to foot the bill, irrespective of how long the treatment lasts," Sandhu added.
Considered two of the finest cricketing talents in the country, Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli began their cricketing journeys on a promising note.
The duo stitched a famous partnership of 664 runs for their school, Shardashram Vidyamandir, in a Harris Shield match while also registering unbeaten triple tons.
Both went on to represent India at the highest level, though Kambli's career went downhill quickly, primarily due to disciplinary issues.