London, Jul 10: A new portrait of Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was unveiled at the MCC Museum at Lord’s ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy third Test match between England and India.

Painted by British artist Stuart Pearson Wright, the artwork captures a larger-than-life image of Tendulkar’s head and shoulders and will remain in the museum before being moved to the Pavilion later this year.

This is the fifth portrait of an Indian player in the MCC’s famous collection and the fourth painted by Pearson Wright. Unlike his earlier full-length paintings of Kapil Dev, Bishan Bedi and Dilip Vengsarkar, this portrait takes a different approach with a close-up composition and an abstract background.

Before the start of the third England vs India Test, Sachin Tendulkar had the honour of ringing the iconic five-minute bell at Lord’s. Introduced in 2007, the tradition is one of cricket’s most cherished, reserved for players who have left a lasting mark on the game - making Tendulkar a fitting choice for the occasion.

The painting is based on a photograph the artist took at Tendulkar’s home in Mumbai 18 years ago.

Tendulkar, who retired from international cricket in 2013, is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters of all time. He scored 34,357 international runs across formats - over 6,000 more than the next highest, Kumar Sangakkara.

Speaking about the honour, Tendulkar said, “In 1983, when India won the World Cup, it was my first introduction to Lord’s. I saw our captain, Kapil Dev, lift the trophy. That moment sparked my cricketing journey. Today, with my portrait going up inside the Pavilion, life feels like it’s come full circle.”

Pearson Wright explained his creative choice and said, “MCC wanted something different from the previous portraits, so I focused on Sachin’s face and used a heroic scale. The abstract background allows his features to stand out without placing him in a specific time or place.”

The Lord’s Portrait Programme has been running for over 30 years, but MCC’s art collection dates back to the Victorian era. With nearly 300 portraits among 3,000 artworks, it remains one of the richest sporting collections in the world.

Charlotte Goodhew, MCC’s Collections and Programmes Manager, said, “It’s wonderful to add such a transcendental figure as Sachin Tendulkar to our portrait collection. Unveiling it during an England–India Test makes it even more special for fans visiting Lord’s.”

(IANS)

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