London [UK], July 10 (ANI): Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar expressed happiness at his portrait being unveiled at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Museum, saying that from his first visit to the iconic venue back in 1988 to now getting his portrait unveiled is a feeling 'that's hard to put into words'.

Sachin's portrait was unveiled at the museum before the start of play during the third Test between India and England at Lord's.

Taking to his X handle, Sachin reflected, 'I first visited Lord's as a teenager in 1988, and returned in 1989 with the Star Cricket Club team. I remember standing near the pavilion, soaking in the history and dreaming quietly. Today, to have my portrait unveiled at this very place is a feeling that's hard to put into words. Life has truly come full circle. I'm grateful, and filled with wonderful memories.'

https://x.com/sachin_rt/status/1943254154497176046

Sachin does not have a great record at Lord's though in Tests, having scored just 195 runs across five matches and nine innings at an average of 21.66, with a best score of 37. Across all formats, he has played eight matches at the venue, scoring 240 runs at an average of 20.00 with best score of 37.

This contrasts with his incredible Test returns in England, having made 1,575 runs in 17 Tests and 30 innings at an average of 54.31, with four centuries and eight fifties. His best score is 193. Extending it to all forms of cricket, he has made 2,626 runs in 43 matches and 56 innings at an average of 49.54, with seven centuries and 12 fifties. His best score in England is 193.

The portrait, by artist Stuart Pearson Wright, will remain in the MCC Museum until later this year when it will be relocated to the Pavilion.

Tendulkar is one of the greatest batters ever to have played the game. In an international career that spanned 24 years from 1989 to 2013, Tendulkar scored 34,357 runs in Test matches, One-Day Internationals, and T20 Internationals for India. This total is over 6,000 more than the next highest batter - Kumar Sangakkara with 28,016.

The portrait is painted from a photograph taken by the artist in Tendulkar's home in Mumbai 18 years ago. As the work progressed, so did Pearson Wright's approach, eventually ending with oil on abraded aluminium. The abstract background illustrates Tendulkar's timelessness, unrestricted by any era or specific location.

This is the fifth portrait of an Indian player in MCC's Collections, four of which (Kapil Dev, Bishan Singh Bedi, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Tendulkar) have been painted by Pearson Wright. Unlike the previous paintings, which were full-length, the portrait of Tendulkar is a larger-than-life image of his head and shoulders, as per a press release.

The Lord's Portrait Programme has been running in its current form for three decades, but MCC has been collecting art and artefacts since the Victorian period, opening a dedicated museum in the 1950s, making it the oldest sporting museum in Europe. The Long Room Gallery is the oldest and most iconic gallery in sport.

The Club currently houses around 3,000 pictures, nearly 300 of which are portraits. (ANI)