CM Sarma meets cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar in Guwahati, talks on strengthening cricketing ecosystem in Assam
Guwahati, June 27
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma welcomed cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar at his office in Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati on Saturda and discussed strengthening Assam's cricketing ecosystem.
The great opening batter, who is known for his remarkable mastery against the world's fiercest fast bowlers, proposed to organise an International Marathon in Guwahati on the lines of the Tokyo Marathon '25.
Chief Minister Sarma said that he will be glad to host it as the government will definitely examine the proposal.
The Assam CM shared a post on X with a video of the meeting and wrote, "Shri Sunil Gavaskar ji met me & proposed to organise an International Marathon in Guwahati on the lines of the Tokyo Marathon'25. We will be glad to host it & will definitely examine it. Like many of my generation, I also shared with him my childhood memories of those SUNNY knocks!"
He also shared with him his childhood memories of watching those masterclass innings of the legendary Indian batter.
Besides talking about the glorious moments of Indian cricket, they also talked about the evolution of cricket across the red-ball and white-ball formats and the roadmap for further strengthening cricket in Assam.
Sarma observed that the invaluable insights and wealth of experience of Gavaskar will certainly serve as a guiding light in the government's efforts to nurture quality cricketing talent and further develop the sport in the State.
Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Devajit Saikia, and Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, KK Dwivedi, were also present during the interaction.
Sunil Gavaskar played 125 Tests and 108 ODIs, amassing 10,122 Test runs at an average of 51.12 with 34 centuries and 3,092 ODI runs at an average of 35.13. He famously became the first batsman to score 10,000 runs and 34 hundreds in Test cricket.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Hope this is not just another photo op! Assam has good cricketing talent but lacks proper infrastructure. We need more grounds, coaching centers and tournaments at grassroots level. Sunny sir's experience can definitely guide but action is needed on ground. 🤔
Great to see cricket development in Northeast India! The Tokyo Marathon comparison is ambitious but Guwahati has beautiful terrain for such events. Hope this brings more international sporting attention to the region.
As someone from Assam who loves cricket, this is heartening. But we need more than just meetings - proper cricket academies, improved facilities in districts, and regular tournaments. CM should also look at developing local talent like Riyan Parag who has put Assam on cricket map. Hope this visit leads to concrete action! 🏏
Cricket development in Assam makes sense - there's so much talent in the Northeast that gets overlooked. The marathon idea is interesting too. Guwahati's location near Brahmaputra could make for a scenic route!
Sunny Gavaskar has done so much for Indian cricket. Even at this age he's thinking of giving back to the game. Hope Assam government takes this seriously and doesn't just make it a one-time event. Need long-term planning for cricket development, not just photo opportunities. 😊
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