Vinod Kambli, who rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was widely seen as a naturally gifted batter. Around the same time, Sachin Tendulkar also came into the spotlight, sparking endless debates about who was the more talented of the two. While many believed Kambli had greater flair, others backed Tendulkar. In the end, however, it was Tendulkar who turned his potential into record-breaking performances, while Kambli struggled to live up to the promise of his early years.
Virendra, the brother of former India cricketer Vinod Kambli, has revealed what kind of relationship the latter shared with Sachin Tendulkar.
Kambli’s brother, Virendra, speaking in an interview about the talent and the relationship between Kambli and Tendulkar. “Both had the same talent. You can’t say my brother was greater than Sachin or vice versa. They were both the same. I never heard my brother say he was better than Sachin,” Virendra said in an interview with Vickey Lalwani.
“Both had the same talent,” Virendra declared to Vickey Lalwani in an interview. “You can’t say my brother was greater than Sachin or vice versa. They were both the same. I never heard my brother say he was better than Sachin.”
Virendra was also asked about reported rifts between the two cricketers, and about statements from Kambli (which he later took back) that Tendulkar let him down when he needed support.
“No, that’s not true,” Virendra said. “Sachin dada has always supported Vinod. Their friendship is still very strong. Sachin calls and checks on him with Andrea (Kambli’s wife).”
Later, pushed about players that Kambli respected the most, Virendra again named Tendulkar.
“Sachin Dada. He was closest to him,” he said. “I don’t know about others, but I saw them together when I would go to watch Ranji Trophy matches. I would go to the dressing room to eat, and Sachin Dada, Vinod, and I would sit together and have fun. We would joke around and have a good time.”
Virendra tip-towed around the subject of indiscipline about Kambli, but did mention that he got too carried away in the glamour of the sport. Virendra added that he still advises his students not to ‘go overboard’.
“I will give this message: If you play cricket and get glamour, learn to be grounded. Be down-to-earth. I have also been playing cricket for many years. I have learned by watching Sachin Dada and Vinod Dada. I have learned by watching their batting on TV. I have seen their hard work since childhood. I tell the kids to work hard. If you get success after working hard, then hold on to that success. Don’t go overboard, as we say. Don’t get carried away,” he said in the interview.
Virendera, too, played some cricket growing up and now runs an academy.
Nasa Hussain, now in his 50s, works as the head groundsman at the Park Avenue ground in Bradford, England — a locality with a strong South Asian community, particularly people with roots in Pakistan and India. Back in the early 1990s, much like Vinod Kambli, he too was a young cricketer chasing big dreams.
Kambli was 19 but he had the swagger of a Test veteran. “As a South Asian, Sachin joining Yorkshire was big news. I’ll tell you what was better, he brought along with him his friend Vinod Kambli, who played in our league. I’ve never-ever met a person who hits the ball as hard as he used to,” he said.
Nasa still remembers the first ball he bowled to him. “He just runs down the track and hits the first ball for six, and you think, ‘well okay’. Young man from India, never seen before, never heard of before, and he just comes and smashes it. Subsequently, he went on to score two double-hundreds against England. That was some talent,” he says before seamlessly switching to a rueful tone. “In today’s day and age, that guy would have been a multi-millionaire.”