'I want that match to happen in Mumbai because...' - Sachin Tendulkar reveals reason behind playing his farewell game at Wankhede Stadium

The 50th anniversary of the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, was celebrated with former and current cricketers, along with the trophy of the ICC event, Champions Trophy 2025. It was a wonderful event where the players engaged with each other and even danced a bit. The real fun happened when former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar danced to the beats of 'Om Shanti Om' during the event. 

After that, former player Sachin Tendulkar, who played for around 24 years for India, was asked about why he wanted his last game to be in Mumbai, to which he revealed the reason and the conversation that went on with the then BCCI President, M. Srinivasan. His wish was granted immediately as he wanted to bring his mother to the game. 

"Before the series was announced, I got in touch with the president of BCCI, Mr. Srinivasan, and made one request. I said, ‘Ki last match, I want that match to happen in Mumbai, for one very reason—itne saal mai cricket khela, 24 saal for India. And before that, another 5-6 years, so around about 30 years. My mother had never seen me play in 30 years. And at that time, my mother’s health was such that she was not able to travel. She would never have been able to get to any other venue, other than Wankhede Stadium. So, I made a request that my last wish is that my mother sits here (Wankhede Stadium) and sees me once ki 24 saal mai ghar chod k kyu jaa raha tha. At least my wish should be fulfilled. And very graciously, BCCI accepted and kept the match here," said Sachin Tendulkar at the event.

Also Watch:Rohit Sharma calls India's star batter on stage to dance during Wankhede Stadium's 50th year celebration

Champions Trophy 2025 to start on February 19

The upcoming ICC event, Champions Trophy 2025, will start on February 19, in Pakistan. The first game will be between Pakistan and New Zealand, at the National Stadium, Karachi. A day later, India will play their first game, on February 20, against Bangladesh in Dubai. While the tournament will take place in Pakistan, India's matches will happen in Dubai as the government didn't allow the players to travel to neighbouring countries. 

The finals of the tournament are on March 9, but the venue will be decided based on India's qualifications. If India qualify for the Finals, the game will be in Dubai. Similarly, in case India fail to qualify, the final match will be in Pakistan.