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Sachin Tendulkar once tricked an air hostess into thinking Suresh Raina was his son, Arjun, during a flight before a Test match.
Suresh Raina and Sachin Tendulkar (X)
Sachin Tendulkar, arguably one of the greatest cricketers in history, was not only a genius with the bat but also a master of light-hearted mischief. Many of his teammates, particularly those who debuted in the early 2000s, have fondly recalled his playful side.
From Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh to Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag, nearly every player experienced Tendulkar’s pranks. According to Suresh Raina, however, none of those moments compares to a hilarious incident he had with the batting legend.
Raina and Tendulkar shared the Indian dressing room from 2006 until Tendulkar’s retirement in 2013. They were part of memorable triumphs and heartbreaking defeats, but one particular episode on a flight remains etched in Raina’s memory.
“We were once going to play a Test match when I was about 18 years old, and I was sitting in business class next to Sachin paaji. The air hostess came over and said, ‘Good morning, Sachin sir. How are you?’ and assuming I was Arjun Tendulkar, she said something to him about me in passing; Sachin paaji saw a chance to have some fun. He replied, ‘Yes, he’s not studying at all, what to do? I’ve even told Anjali (Tendulkar)’,” Raina was quoted as saying on ‘Cheeky Singles’.
When Did This Happen?
The incident likely took place after July 2010, when Raina made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo, scoring a century in his first match. Raina recalled that Sachin only clarified the misunderstanding after they had a hearty laugh and shared the joke with the rest of the team.
“Later, we went to the section where the other players were sitting, and I blurted, ‘Why are you making me sit in business class? You’ve made me Arjun Tendulkar!’ (Sachin) paaji eventually clarified it to air hostess saying, ‘He’s a part of the Indian cricket team, he is Suresh Raina, not my son’. Paaji loved playing such big pranks sometimes.” Raina recalled.
Interestingly, the pair also shared a famous 256-run partnership in that debut Test. Tendulkar scored 203, while Raina made 120, helping India post a massive 707 in the first innings.
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha… Read More
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