Like always he was ready for the challenge. I might have had fights with Sachin more than the runs he has scored while playing opingo-betingo. Kambli also stood no chance. Few years ago, I had been to Wankhede for a Ranji trophy game and I went to meet him. We meet him on and off,” Ricky explained.So how did they meet I was studying at St Joseph’s Wadala, Sachin at IES King George in Bandra and Kambli was in Our Lady of Dolours in Marine Lines. We were backbenchers in class. And sir told us, if you all want to play good cricket, you will have to join Shardashram high school. This was in 1986/87 when we were in the seventh standard and from there began our friendship,” said Ricky, who holds the Limca Book record for the youngest umpire to pass a cricket umpire’s exam in India at 16 years and 116 days. Ricky and Sachin used to visit each other’s homes and continue from they left off in class.And does he still keep in touch with him We are in touch with him.When my date was fixed, Marcus told him the date and he was ready to come for the nuptials also at Gorai. Till today nobody has been able to beat him from our group.Today, 42-year-old Ricky is a state level umpire with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and is also a Limca Book record holder for the youngest umpire in India to pass a cricket exam at the age of 16 years and 116 days. He has not changed at all.

The game has still not stopped between Ricky and Sachin. It was something new for me to see such a big kit bag. We used to always get punished by teachers. Sachin used to play panja (arm wrestling) game. After a period was over, he Dry Compressed Facial Mask Suppliers emptied the bag, he put me in and zipped it and showed that I’ve won this also,” Ricky said. He used to really give a hard punch,” he added. Sachin was very mischievous and academically was like an average student, not too brilliant. While in school, Ricky and Sachin were the bad boys and part of a ‘deadly gang’. I met him at Bandra-Kurla Complex last before he went for Cricket All Stars.. We told him to come for the reception and he said that he will raise the toast for me. He is the same like what he was in school.Sachin was a champ during his younger days too. And I told them, ‘Haa aamcha game aahe opingo-betingo’ (this is our game). That very day we all took a decision and joined Shardashram. One of our friends told Sachin that the kit bag is so big that you can easily fit Ricky in the bag. During recess we used to all be together, we used to play mischief with everybody and people used to get frightened of us.” In class, the competition got tougher. Ricky, who also holds another Limca Book record for the most number of cricket neck ties (547), spoke about a mischievous Sachin, full of mirth.

Sachin had a peculiar habit of signing on any piece of paper in school. Sachin loved his vada pav. Ricky was Sachin’s classmate at Shardashram Vidyamandir in Dadar. Sachin used to play with me opingo-betingo (a fistful children’s game). We all used to practice with Achrekar sir (Ramakant Achrekar) at Shivaji Park. He started hitting me and the whole team was stunned, ‘Ye kya ho raha hai,’ (what’s going on ) they were saying. Sometimes I used to go to his place and we used to play with a soft ball. The friendship reached its pinnacle when the Master Blaster raised a toast at Ricky’s wedding in 2005. Kambli used to travel from Kanjur Marg to Marine Lines. If not in class, during recess the boys would be even naughtier.More than three decades ago, Sachin Tendulkar was a young impish character who had not Ricky Ponting but Ricky Couto in his side.” Greatness beckoned Tendulkar at a young age when he went to England with Star Cricket Club under Kailash Gattani in 1988. He also used to come to my mine and eat his favourite dish, Mutton Vindaloo while Kambli’s was pork sorpotel. Call it fate but Sachin was a champ during his younger days too. He had just come back from that tour with a big kit bag. They used to make us stand on the bench, sometimes outside the class and sometimes near the blackboard also,” he said. Any piece of paper he would get, he would sign on it, I don’t know why, whether he was practicing for the future,” Ricky guffawed.” Ricky says the legend in the making had a habit of signing on paper. He was there before time,” he added