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    Lata Mangeshkar: An eternal fan of cricket and Sachin Tendulkar

    Synopsis

    The singer was a cricket aficionado and a supporter of Team India.

    Image (63)
    Sachin Tendulkar shared a special bond with Lata Mangeshkar.
    Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, 92, breathed her last on Sunday morning. Fondly known as the nightingale of India, Lata was hospitalised for the last couple of weeks. While it is a well-known fact that the veteran singer had over 30,000 songs to her credit across various Indian languages, little has been written about her other interests.

    The legendary singer was a fan of cricket. Yes, you read that correctly. The singer had expressed a liking for the sport on numerous occasions. Her adoration for the game was such that when India won the World Cup in 1983, the iconic singer organised a free concert dedicated to the victorious Indian cricket team.

    Singing The Glory Of '83
    “I watched the final at Lord’s. I could not believe that we had won the World Cup defeating the two-time champion West Indies. Naturally, as an Indian, I felt very proud of the achievement,” Lata had told in an earlier interview to Hindustan Times.

    After the victory in 1983, Lata who witnessed the historic match in London went on to personally congratulate the Indian team.

    “I remember that all the members of the team have sung a song, specially composed by my brother Hridaynath, with me. Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev were standing beside me,” the report quoted her as saying.
    Image (65)Agencies
    Lata Mangeshkar in a fram with Kapil Dev sometime after the 1983 World Cup. (Image: Youtube/Nightingale)
    The versatile singer had on many occasions reiterated her admiration of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. Lata shared a strong bond with Tendulkar, who deeply revered the legendary singer.

    “All gamers are good however Sachin is my favourite. Sunil Gavaskar regarded the perfect from that group in addition to Kapil Dev. By the best way, all of the cricketers listed below are good. Dravid can also be good. Sure, probably the most favourite is Sachin, little question about it. Everybody likes Sachin so why ought I to be behind?,” Lata was quoted as saying by BBC Hindi.

    The veteran singer had also expressed her sadness when Tendulkar announced his retirement in 2013.

    “I can’t tell you how bad I felt when I first heard he had decided to retire. It was a terrible feeling. But with time I have come to terms with it. No one can continue forever. Even a great like Sachin can’t. I thought he could well have played on a little more but this is entirely his call. If he feels this is the best time I’d respect his decision and go with him. But yes I do feel terrible to think he will not play cricket again,” Lata had said.

    The singer's love for cricket was immense and there are several accounts where she was seen eagerly looking forward to match scores. Sagar, a wildlife photographer, took to Twitter to share an anecdote reflecting the nightingale's excitement for the game.
    The photographer shared a moment when the melody queen was elated after Sachin scored a century in a match against Sri Lanka. The legend displayed the excitement and vigour of every cricket aficionado when Sachin was batting.
    ( Originally published on Feb 06, 2022 )

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