Vinod Kambli is one of the great Indian cricketers of his time, but when the promise of great things hung above his head, he could not really come close to winning it. The career of the ex-India cricketer suddenly spiraled downward and never really made an appearance from there. While Kambli was associated with Sachin Tendulkar, his childhood friend and former teammate, who began his career alongside Kambli, went on to gain a reputation as arguably the greatest batter of all time. When these ex-cricketers met at the memorial of their former coach Ramakant Achrekar, the shades that fell in stark contrast between their health and status sent waves across the country.
Kambli, who is entitled to concern from every corner of the Indian cricketing spectrum, promises to fight back against his ill health and put it behind him. In an interview, Kambli revealed he had even talked about his friendship with Sachin concerning the 2009 incident, where their bond faced a few rough currents.
At that time, Kambli had even accused Sachin of turning his back on him. However, he has now issued a clarification. The former batter even revealed that Tendulkar had taken care of many of his medical bills when he underwent surgeries in 2013.
“At that time, it came to my mind that Sachin didn’t help. I was extremely frustrated. But Sachin did everything for me, including paying for my two surgeries in 2013. We spoke, and childhood friendship came forward,” Kambli revealed on The Viky Lalwani Show.
“Sachin told me how to play. I made nine comebacks. We are cricketers; we get hurt. When we get out, we also get hurt,” Kambli added.
Kambli remembers much of his cricketing glories but treasures the most the double-hundred which he scored at the Wankhede when he first shot into fame in the 1990s. “This double hundred in Wankhede will remain closest to my heart,” Kambli said. “Achrekar sir was there with me; we had a great team. I used to have fun duels with Muttiah Muralitharan and other opponents.”
“My journey was not the smoothest but I really put my all into it. I am thankful to all the family and friends like Sachin, who stood by me,” he said.