“For me, his biggest impact on Indian cricket is that he has inspired children to pick up the bat, take up the game and be like him,” Tendulkar told The Week magazine.
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“If you see every generation, there have been players who have motivated youngsters to do what they did. His name will be on that list. That is his contribution to Indian cricket,” he added.
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Talking about the most special moment with Dhoni, Tendulkar mentioned the 2011 World Cup.
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“My most special moment with him was, of course, the 2011 World Cup. If you ask 10 people which shot they remember from that World Cup, all 10 would say the final-winning six by Dhoni. At the time, Viru (Sehwag) and I were the only two in the team who were sitting inside the dressing room and praying. We saw that shot on the television. We heard an uproar, and that is when we rushed out and saw the crowd making noise. It was such an incredible atmosphere out there,” Tendulkar, who has scored a world record 100 international centuries, said.
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Tendulkar recalled Dhoni’s ‘unforgettable’ shot that came against Pakistan in a Test in Faisalabad. The same match saw Dhoni hit his maiden Test hundred (148), in 2006.
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“But if you ask me, there is another Dhoni shot that I consider unforgettable. That shot I saw from close quarters; I was at the non-striker’s end. It was a shot he played off Shoaib Akhtar at Faisalabad in Pakistan. Shoaib bowled a bouncer and Dhoni pulled it for a six. I thought it was a special shot,” Tendulkar explained.
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Now, Dhoni is in the UAE to lead Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020).
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