"One of the best gifts we could've got" - Sachin Tendulkar on SCG honoring him and Brian Lara with gates named after them

On Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar's 50th birthday (April 24, 2023), the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) named gates at the stadium after him and prolific West Indian batter Brian Lara.

Tendulkar and Lara are the only non-Australian cricketers to have gates dedicated to them at the renowned stadium. The gates were officially unveiled on Monday, April 22.

Taking to his Instagram handle, Tendulkar shared a special note on the occasion, thanking the stadium for the wonderful gesture. He expressed his excitement about having his name alongside Lara, with whom he shares a great bond.

He wrote:

"Such a special honor at one of my favorite grounds in the world. 🏟️ Having my name there along with my good friend @brianlaraofficial is one of the best gifts we could've got. Thank you @ourscg!"

Notably, the gates are located between the away dressing room and the Noble Bradman Messenger Stand. It will be used by the visiting players to access the field.

Sachin Tendulkar has on several occasions spoken about his fondness for the SCG. He has a fabulous record at the venue, with 785 runs to his name from five Tests at an average of 157.

The right-handed batter's awe-inspiring knock of 241* in the 2003-04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Sydney Test is etched in the memory of ardent cricket fans to date.

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"The Sydney Cricket Ground has been my favorite ground away from India" - Sachin Tendulkar on his love for the venue

Sachin Tendulkar emphasized that the SCG is his favorite ground away from India. He also mentioned that he looks forward to visiting the venue soon.

The Master Blaster further stated that he has a lot of lovely memories of the venue, right from his first-ever tour in 1991-92. Tendulkar was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia (CA):

"The Sydney Cricket Ground has been my favorite ground away from India. I have had some great memories at the SCG right from my first tour of Australia. It is a great honor to have the gates used by all visiting cricketers to access the field of play at the SCG named after me and my good friend Brian.

"I would like to thank the team at the SCG and Cricket Australia for this kind gesture. I look forward to visiting the SCG soon."

Tendulkar and Lara were both recently spotted catching up during the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023). While Tendulkar is associated with Mumbai Indians (MI), Lara is the head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).