Chennai Super Kings (CSK) having been out of the playoffs race a few games ago gave chances to a few youngsters in the last two matches and a couple of them have impressed one and all, the Mumbai leg-spinner Prashant Solanki and the Sri Lankan youngster ‘Baby Malinga’ Matheesha Pathirana.
Solanki, who made his first-class debut for Mumbai this year in the Ranji Trophy 2022 against Goa, was picked by CSK for INR 1.2 crore at the mega auction. The 22-year-old waited for his opportunity for almost an entire season before he made his debut in the IPL against Gujarat Titans at the Wankhede Stadium. Solanki, who has been born and brought up in Mumbai has a special memory attached to the stadium.
In a video for Chennai Super Kings, Solanki recalled a special interaction he had with legendary Sachin Tendulkar who played his last game in 2013 at the same venue. Solanki was a ball-boy during India’s Test match against West Indies.
Recalling the incident, Solanki said, “I’ve been to Wankhede to watch his matches. In fact, in his last Test match at Wankhede, I was the ball-boy. I was sitting right in front of his stand. One incident happened where he came on the boundary to field and I was sitting there. I was awestruck. He was calling me for water and some energy drink, I was just awestruck standing there. I couldn’t hear a word he was saying because the crowd was so loud.
“Later, he kept the hand on my shoulder, pulled me closer and told me to get an energy drink for me. That was my moment of the day, that interaction. That was an unforgettable memory for me,” the Mumbai leggie further revealed.
