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Published 13:29 IST, May 25th 2020

Sachin Tendulkar arranged bat sponsor for me when I needed it the most: Mahmudullah

Mahmudullah Riyadh, who is Bangladesh's T20I skipper, revealed about Sachin Tendulkar's kind gesture that helped him to get a sponsor during his initial days.

Reported by: Jatin Malu
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Former Indian cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar is arguably the greatest batsman to have played the sport. The 'Master Blaster' has created a plethora of records in his glorious 24-year career and is widely regarded as the ‘God of Cricket’. Sachin Tendulkar, who is the highest run-scorer in Tests as well as ODIs, was known for his impeccable batting technique. 

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Mahmudullah grateful to Sachin Tendulkar for recommending his name to Adidas

Sachin Tendulkar has a huge fan following not only in India but also across the globe. He continues to remain an inspiration for many budding cricketers. With his humble nature, Sachin Tendulkar earned the respect of his opponents as well. Sachin Tendulkar is also renowned for his generosity. 

Recently, Bangladesh T20I skipper Mahmudullah Riyadh revealed about Sachin Tendulkar's kind gesture that helped him to get a sponsor during his initial days. In a Facebook live session with Cricfrenzy, Mahmudullah said that one day while he was returning from practice, he got a call from Sachin Tendulkar's agent. The agent told him that Sachin Tendulkar had recommended his name to renowned global sports breand Adidas to sign him. Adidas is the second-largest sportswear manufacturer in the world and had the Indian batting maestro as one of its brand ambassadors during that period.

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Mahmudullah further said that he wanted to thank him as he hasn’t got the chance to say this in person. Mahmudullah added that they grew up watching his matches and it was a great privilege to be able to play against him. He also said that the great Sachin Tendulkar suggesting his name means a lot to him and he is really thankful to him.

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During the live session, the host told Mahmudullah that Tendulkar felt that he would be the future of Bangladesh cricket. However, the Bangladeshi all-rounder said that he didn’t know about it. Mahmudullah added that it was the first time he was hearing about it. He thanked the host for giving him such a big compliment and said that he is feeling extremely proud. Mahmudullah took over from Shakib-al-Hasan as captain of Bangladesh’s T20 side after ICC banned the latter for two years in late 2019.

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Mahmudullah reveals he is a huge fan of MS Dhoni

During the same chat, Mahmudullah admitted of being a 'huge fan' of former Indian skipper MS Dhoni. The middle-order batsman expressed that whenever he is idle, he watches MS Dhoni's innings and even live games sometimes and tries to learn from him. Mahmudullah remarked that it is not easy for a batsman to maintain a 50-plus average in ODIs. 

Mahmudullah said that he is a huge fan of MS Dhoni because of the way he controls himself and tries to learn how MS Dhoni composes himself in the game. Mahmudallah, who captains 'The Tigers' in the shortest format of the game, also remarked that the former Indian skipper has been a great influence on his cricketing career. 

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IMAGE COURTESY: MAHMUDULLAH INSTAGRAM

13:29 IST, May 25th 2020