So when the ‘Master Blaster’ finally calls it a day after his 200th Test match in Mumbai next month, he will be in for a surprise.
So when the ‘Master Blaster’ finally calls it a day after his 200th Test match in Mumbai next month, he will be in for a surprise. Sachin’s 200th test will see the iconic batsman receive a grand salute from a familiar but an unexpected tribe – the Mumbai ‘dabbawalas’.
“Around 50-100 ‘dabbawalas’ will take a few days off from the tiffin delivery service to be present at Wankhede Stadium and give a salute to the legend who is retiring,” said Subhash Talekar, spokesperson of the Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust (NMTBST).
He said that the dabbawalas have been serving Mumbai for the past 123 years, while Mumbai-born Tendulkar has been serving and bringing laurels to the nation in the past nearly three decades. He adds, “He is a symbol of Mumbai who has made all Indians proud. We feel it is our duty to be present on this historic occasion.”
The dabbawalas will pay themselves to buy tickets for the historic Test match scheduled between November 14-18, which will also see Tendulkar’s mother at the stadium for the first time. Besides holding a banner, Talekar said, the dabbawalas plan to gift Tendulkar their traditional “dabba” (lunchbox), which has earlier been gifted to celebrities from around the world, including Britain’s Prince Charles.
Mumbai’s nearly 5,000 “dabbawalas” have carved a global niche for themselves for their efficient to-and-fro delivery of nearly 200,000 lunch boxes around the city. The meeting of the two Mumbai’s icons will add more grandeur to the Test match that has already started grabbing headlines the world over.
With IANS inputs
