Even as millions have found their own way to celebrate batting genius Sachin Tendulkar’s 40 birthday on Wednesday, far away in Nalgonda of Andhra Pradesh, a die-hard Sachin fan faces desperation with a difference.
For, the 32-year-old Kondeti Srinivas is eagerly waiting for what he believes to be the ‘moment of reckoning’ to meet the batting great from Mumbai and present a portrait carved out in black stone.
Srinivas, a post-graduate in Sociology from Nalgonda, has been following Sachin’s career graph ever since he became an avid follower of the game.
Interestingly, Srinivas is also into a small time business of making portraits of some of his works include portraits of legends from different fields such as renowned singer M. S. Subbalakshmi, film maker Satyajit Ray, ‘Kavi’ Chalam, and N.T. Rama Rao.
Even while the genius continues to delight connoisseurs of the sport across the world, Srinivas has ensured that the engraved portrait measuring 12 inches in width and six inches in height presents a pleasing sight of a smiling Sachin. “It is engraved on a black stone with the help of a free hand tool after a sketch was drawn,” he said.
“I was in Hyderabad for the recent Test match between India and Australia desperately wanting to meet him. Unfortunately, the bomb blasts just before that game only heightened the security measures and prevented me from going anywhere near to him, at the hotel or at the stadium,” said Srinivas.
“I will try my luck again during the Mumbai Indians IPL game in Hyderabad on May 1,” says the spirited Sachin fan.
