Sharjah Cricket Stadium unveils Sachin Tendulkar Stand on India great’s 50th birthday

Sachin Tendulkar has been honoured at Sharjah Cricket Stadium where a stand has been named after the Indian batting great.

The West Stand will now be known as the Sachin Tendulkar Stand. The announcement was made on his 50th birthday – and 25 years to the day since he played one of his finest innings at the ground.

On April 22, 1998, Tendulkar played an innings which has become known as “Desert Storm”, given it was briefly interrupted by a sandstorm.

The century against Australia is regarded by many as one of his greatest ever. Virat Kohli recently said it was the one innings he wishes he himself had played.

It meant India advanced to the final of a tri-series which also involved New Zealand. Two days later, on his 25th birthday, he won the series for India with another century against a star-studded Australia line up.

“This was where my passion for cricket started,” Khalaf Bukhatir, the chief executive of Sharjah Cricket, said.

“It was 1998 and we had to come and watch ODIs, for about 10 hours a day. We would roam around the stadium and be less focused on the game, because at that stage I wasn’t very aware.

“But from that day my passion was started. I became a fan of the game, and a fan of Sachin Tendulkar. I can’t forget his birthday celebrations. It mesmerised the whole audience, and I feel lucky to have been there.

Sachin Tendulkar speaking via video message at the unveiling of the stand named after him at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Pawan Singh / The National

“That day is not just special to Sachin but special to everyone who witnessed it.”

Mazhar Khan, the long-serving administrator of Sharjah Cricket, said everyone who was there for that fixture realised it would live long in the memory.

“India needed to chase a