It is believed or said that Sri Lanka’s opening pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Kalu Kaluwitharana took advantage of the field restrictions for the first time. The duo played a key role in Sri Lanka’s World Cup triumph in 1996. However, former player Navjot Singh Sidhu has named an Indian batter he feels was the first one to take advantage of the field restrictions.
He hailed Sachin Tendulkar, who is celebrating his 51st birthday today. His birthday date, April 24, happens to be one of the most important days in the sporting history of India.
“I saw Sachin scoring hundreds in one session in the Ranji Trophy. Sachin was always among the scorers. In a Ranji Trophy game between Punjab and Mumbai, he scored a hundred in just two hours in 1994. When he started opening the batting, all the barriers were broken.
“Sachin was the first opener, who exploited the field restrictions, and the ball was always in the air. The rival bowlers were terrorized and they had fear of Sachin in their eyes. I have seen a very few batters impacting the game like that,” Navjot Singh Sidhu said on Star Sports.
Sachin is currently working as a mentor with Mumbai Indians. The veteran is traveling to different parts of the country to attend matches in IPL 2024.