Sachin Tendulkar Faces Unexpected Selection Snub in Cricket Podcast
We rarely witness Sachin Tendulkar caught in selection controversies. Yet a recent podcast episode flipped this notion with a genuinely amusing twist. During a discussion on Stick to Cricket, former Australian batter Mark Waugh delivered a shocker. He excluded Tendulkar from his all-time cricket XI.
For a player who automatically features in any greatest list, this omission immediately raised eyebrows. Tendulkar stands as the gold standard in international cricket. He holds the record for most runs and most matches played. He remains the only batter to score 100 international centuries.
Live Call Prank Adds Comedy to the Moment
The panel's reaction turned surreal. Former England captain Michael Vaughan prompted David Lloyd into action. Their plan was simple. Call Sachin Tendulkar live on air and gauge his response. Lloyd did not waste a second.
He dialed the Indian legend during the broadcast. Lloyd repeatedly introduced himself as Bumble. Before the conversation could properly begin, the call suddenly disconnected. Lloyd broke the silence with perfect comedic timing. He's gone, he declared, sparking laughter across the studio.
The humor worked because Tendulkar's statistics speak for themselves. Everyone knows he retired in 2013 with 34,357 international runs from 664 matches. His emotional farewell Test occurred at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium against the West Indies.
Current Players Chase Tendulkar's Lofty Records
Among active cricketers, Virat Kohli poses the closest challenge. He currently occupies second place on the all-time run list with 28,091 international runs. Kohli still trails Tendulkar by over 6,000 runs. Many expect the 2027 World Cup to serve as his international swansong, so time is limited.
Kohli recently moved past Kumar Sangakkara's tally of 28,016 runs during an ODI in Vadodara against New Zealand. He already surpassed Tendulkar's ODI centuries record at the 2023 World Cup, reaching 53 hundreds.
In Test cricket, England's Joe Root is also closing the gap. He sits fewer than 2,000 runs behind Tendulkar. However, Root still trails by 11 centuries, highlighting the immense challenge of matching the Master Blaster's legacy.
The podcast moment reminded fans that even legends can become part of lighthearted debates. Yet Tendulkar's monumental achievements continue to define cricketing excellence for generations.
