"The time has flown by so quickly"- Sachin Tendulkar congratulates BCCI ahead of IPL's 1000th match

Sachin Tendulkar congratulated the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ahead of the 1000th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The IPL 2023 game between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday, April 30, will mark the 1000th match in the tournament's history.

Mumbai icon Sachin Tendulkar participated in the first few seasons of the league as a player. He initially captained the Mumbai Indians and then stepped down from the position. Tendulkar was the first Indian to win the Orange Cap. He was also the first MI captain to lead the franchise to an IPL final.

MI are the most successful IPL franchise with five titles under their belt. In a special video released by the IPL ahead of the 1000th match, Sachin Tendulkar said:

"1000th game. Wow. The time has flown by so quickly. A big, big congratulations to BCCI. It is a fabulous achievement and more so because, you know, the way the tournament has grown in stature over the years, I mean, I remember, in 2008, it was the first season, I was part of MI in a different capacity."

"It's always a pleasure to be part of IPL"- Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar further labeled the IPL as the biggest tournament in the world and continued:

"It's always a pleasure to be part of a tournament, which is by far the biggest tournament in the world. It has given so many cricketers in India and abroad. It's a tournament which has allowed youngsters to dream big, the aspirations to come here and play out here. A big, big congratulations to BCCI."

Sachin's son Arjun Tendulkar is currently participating in the IPL as a player. He is part of the Mumbai Indians squad, and the left-arm pacer is likely to play in the 1000th match of the tournament against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). It will be interesting to see how he performs in the 1000th IPL game.