Batting great Sachin Tendulkar was at his witty best as he fielded questions from fans during an 'Ask Me Anything' (AMA) session on Reddit on Monday, August 25.
The former India captain, now Reddit's brand ambassador, struck a balance between insight and humour, giving candid responses about both cricket and life.
When fans bombarded him with questions, one user even asked him to "prove" it was really him by sending a voice note. Tendulkar replied with a picture of himself on the platform before joking, “Abhi Aadhar bhi bheju kya? (Should I now send you my Aadhaar?).”
During the session, Tendulkar took fans on a nostalgic journey, revisiting duels with Australian greats Glenn McGrath and the late Shane Warne, while also cheekily recalling his experiences with former umpire Steve Bucknor, whose decisions often sparked controversy.
Asked whether he had ever played a risky shot just to unsettle a bowler, Sachin revealed, “Yes, on many occasions I have played risky shots to break the bowler's rhythm. The one that comes to my mind is against McGrath at Nairobi in 2000.”
That particular clash was the quarter-final of the 2000 ICC Champions Trophy, where Tendulkar launched a ferocious assault on McGrath, smashing him for two fours and three sixes in a 37-ball knock. His 66-run opening stand with Sourav Ganguly set the stage for debutant Yuvraj Singh's heroic 84, as India piled on 265. McGrath ended wicketless, conceding 61 runs in nine overs, as India dumped out world champions Australia before eventually falling to New Zealand in the final.
On facing Warne, Tendulkar explained that no one had advised him on how to sweep the legendary leg-spinner, "No one, I did it myself. I had a different stance for him when he bowled over the wicket and when he went around the wicket."
When a fan asked about umpire Steve Bucknor, Tendulkar pulled no punches with a trademark cheeky response, "When I am batting, give him boxing gloves to wear (so he can't raise his finger)."
Tendulkar revealed that he was the person behind the game-changing move to promote Mahendra Singh Dhoni to No 4 ahead of Yuvraj Singh in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai.
On his favourite wicket:
Why Tendulkar wants the DRS ruling on umpire's call:
How Tendulkar likes his pizza:
© 2025