Sachin Tendulkar recalls request to schedule his final match in Mumbai

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar recently shared an emotional recollection of his farewell Test match, revealing that he had requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to schedule his final game at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. This request was made so his mother, Rajni Tendulkar, who had never seen him play live due to health constraints, could attend the match.

The BCCI honoured Tendulkar’s wish, organizing his 200th and final Test against the West Indies at Wankhede Stadium in November 2013. This decision allowed his mother to witness his performance in person for the first time in his 24-year international career.

Tendulkar stated, “When the schedule for the series against West Indies was announced, I called up Mr N Srinivasan and requested whether the second and last match of the series could be played at Wankhede because I want my mother to watch me play my last match. In 30 years, she had never watched me play live and at that time, her health was not such that she could not travel to any other venue except Wankhede. The BCCI, very graciously, accepted that request and my mother and entire family could be at the Wankhede on that day.”

This farewell Test remains one of the most poignant moments in cricket history, marking the end of an era and fulfilling Tendulkar’s heartfelt wish to have his mother witness his final on-field performance.