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The brother of Vinod Kambli, Virendra, has cleared the air on one of the debates that have been rekindled on and off in the cricketing world, was Kambli any better than Sachin Tendulkar? As he says, Kambli never said once that he was superior, although there were passages in the media that made it sound that way.

Sachin Tendulkar and Kambli’s contrasting careers

Kambli and Tendulkar were schoolmates who have both made their way through the Mumbai circuit together. Both these prodigies made their way into the Indian team but whereas Tendulkar went on to become the highest run-scorer in world cricket, Kambli has seen his career go down the drain owing to controversies and inconsistency. The comparison of their courses was the topic of a discussion soon.

Some even indicated that over the years Kambli was more naturally gifted than Sachin Tendulkar but was not disciplined enough to maintain it. Virendra protested, saying that they were equally talented and it was never about being better than the Master Blaster as his brother had never said.

“Both had the same talent,” Virendra told Vickey Lalwani in an interview. “You can’t say my brother was greater than Sachin or vice versa. They were both the same. I never heard my brother say he was better than Sachin.”

Sachin Tendulkar and Kambli’s strong friendship

It has been speculated between a fallout between Sachin Tendulkar and Kambli. Part of this followed what Kambli said in the past where he alluded to the fact that Tendulkar never sided with him in his hard moments. However, Virendra strongly refuted that there was a divide between the two.

“No, that’s not true,” Virendra clarified. “Sachin dada has always supported Vinod. Their friendship is still very strong. Sachin calls and checks on him with Andrea (Kambli’s wife).”

Virendra even pointed out that in spite of the gossip, his brother still revered Tendulkar. To him, Tendulkar was the most respected cricketer by Kambli.

Shared memories of cricket and friendship

When Virendra was questioned on who his brother looked up to in the sport, his reply came very fast. “Sachin Dada. He was closest to him,” he recalled. “I don’t know about others, but I saw them together when I would go to watch Ranji Trophy matches. We would sit, joke, and enjoy time together.”

Those years, according to Virendra, who played a bit of cricket before becoming a coach himself, were an indication of how powerful their connection was. Their careers took different pathways but the respect between Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli was not shaken.

Lessons from Kambli’s journey for young cricketers

When quizzed on the indiscipline tag that has been given to Kambli, Virendra replied that his brother may have been lured by the glamour that is associated with cricket. He explained that it is the same message he now teaches young players through his academy.

“I will give this message: If you play cricket and get glamour, learn to be grounded. Be down-to-earth. I have also been playing cricket for many years. I have learned by watching Sachin Dada and Vinod Dada. I tell the kids to work hard and hold on to success,” Virendra explained.

To him, the greatest lesson he learned out of the careers of both Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli is very simple, that hard work is more valuable than hype and that discipline is the secret to long careers in cricket.

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