'He remains my hero' - Sachin Tendulkar pens down an emotional note for Sunil Gavaskar

March 6, 2021, marked a special occasion in the life of former Indian captain and one of the greatest Test batsmen of all time Sunil Gavaskar. The legend completed 50 years since making his debut in international cricket. Gavaskar had announced himself to the cricket fraternity on March 6, 1971, during a Test match against West Indies in Port of Spain, Trinidad.

In his debut series only, Gavaskar was successful in establishing himself as one of the finest Test batsmen as his heroics with the willow resulted in India winning their first-ever Test series against the mighty West Indies. The veteran was the leading run-scorer in the series with 774 runs in four Test matches including four centuries and one double ton.

As the legendary batsman celebrated the 50th anniversary of his debut, he received a lot of appreciation and love on social media from all across the cricket fraternity. Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar was the one among the many to pay a heartwarming tribute to Sunil Gavaskar.

Wish you a happy 50th in international cricket, Mr. Gavaskar: Sunil Gavaskar

On his official Twitter handle, Sachin penned a heartfelt note for Gavaskar that read, “50 years ago on this day, he took the cricketing world by storm. He scored 774 runs in his debut series and each one of us growing up had a hero to look up to. India won the series in the West Indies and then In England and all of a sudden the sport in India had a new meaning.

“As a young boy, I knew I had someone to look up to and try and be like him. That has never changed. He remains my hero. Wish you a happy 50th in international cricket, Mr. Gavaskar. To every one of the 1971 team a happy 50th Anniversary. You all made us proud and showed us the light.” 

A tribute to My Idol! 🏏🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/l6nP89pUQi

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 6, 2021

Notably, with a whopping 10,122 runs in 125 Test matches, Gavaskar held the record of most runs in the longest format of the game for a very long period but Sachin Tendulkar eventually broke it. The former Indian skipper was also felicitated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) during the Day 3 of the ongoing last Test of the four-match series between India and England at the Narendra Modi Stadium.