"Did You Make As Much Money As Sachin Tendulkar?" Ajinkya Rahane Asked By Steve Waugh. His Reply

After Sachin Tendulkar, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma were considered the ones who would carry his legacy forward in Mumbai cricket. The city has produced many famous international cricketers, and Rahane and Rohit are among the best. One went on to win the T20 World Cup as captain, while the other has been the architect of many important victories in Tests. Even former Australian captain Steve Waugh thought Rahane had modelled his batting style on Sachin.

"I have a question for you. When I saw you, I thought this is the player who most looks like Tendulkar. Did you model your game around Sachin? Because you had that small backlift, very straight and compact. Well-balanced, composed. Was he your role model?" Waugh asked Rahane on a podcast.

"While growing up? Yes, probably everyone's role model was Sachin Tendulkar at that point in time. Growing up in Mumbai and watching Sachin bat at the Wankhede Stadium, then playing with my mates in my backyard, I always used to copy Sachin Tendulkar. His backlift, keeping my hands as close as possible and trying to play the straight drive like Sachin, that beautiful straight drive. Everyone enjoyed it.

"Watching him bat, then getting an opportunity to play with him for my first-class team, and later in international cricket as well, was special. So he was the role model," Rahane replied.

Waugh: Did you make as much money as Sachin?

Rahane: I'll probably make it now.

Recently, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) named lounges at the Wankhede Stadium after former Mumbai captain and MCA president Amol Kale, former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, who played 116 Tests for India, along with Tendulkar and the recently retired Rahane.

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