On the eve of the 2023 World Cup match between India and Sri Lanka, a life-size statue of Sachin Tendulkar was unveiled at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 1. This statue serves as a tribute to the legendary cricketer's immense contribution to Indian cricket and was installed by the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium at this iconic venue.
However, the statue of Sachin Tendulkar's lofted drive has stirred some confusion among fans on social media. Many noticed that it bears a striking resemblance to Australian batting legend Steven Smith, both in facial features and the shot itself. This observation quickly gained attention on social media, with various accounts, including fake Steve Smith profiles, fans, journalists, and others from the cricketing community, highlighting the similarity between the statue and Steven Smith.
Photos of both Steven Smith and Sachin Tendulkar's statue flooded social media and became viral, prompting fans to create memes about the sculpture.
"To compensate this, Cricket Australia will install Sachin’s statue at the SCG after Smith’s retirement", one of the tweets read.
The selected pose for the statue, depicting Tendulkar in a lofted drive, was carefully chosen after reviewing thousands of Tendulkar's action images. The pose features Tendulkar with his left leg extended, body slightly bent, head held high, and the bat pointing toward the sky. Importantly, this pose had received the personal approval of the cricketing legend.
Wankhede Stadium holds special significance for Sachin Tendulkar as he not only played some of his best matches and set or broke numerous records there but also bid farewell to Test cricket at the venue in November 2013 before his retirement.