The 'City of Dreams', Mumbai, gets another chapter in its illustrious history. Lionel Messi shared the same stage with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. During the interaction, Tendulkar presented Messi with a No. 10 jersey signed by him. In a return gesture, the Argentine legend gifted Sachin a football.

The live event in the middle of the Wankhede Stadium was a special occasion for Tendulkar, as in his venue, team India lifted the World Cup trophy after a long wait in 2011. He drew a parallel between Messi’s presence at the venue and India’s 2011 Cricket World Cup triumph; both are icons for the city as well as for the country, Sachin said.

Addressing the crowd, the former Indian cricketer said, "I have spent some incredible moments here. Mumbai is a City of Dreams, and a number of dreams have seen a finishing line at this venue. Without your support, we would have never been able to see those golden moments in 2011 (in the Cricket World Cup win)."

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Watch the moment when Sachin Tendulkar gifted Lionel Messi his signed jersey

VIDEO FOR THE AGES - SACHIN TENDULKAR AND LEO MESSI ON THE SAME STAGE. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mnV1KP4pZj

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 14, 2025

Speaking about Lionel Messi, Tendulkar said that the footballer has achieved everything football can offer a player. He highlighted the fact that Messi achieved all this because of his dedication and commitment to the game.

"Having all three of them (Messi, Suarez and Paul) here is a golden moment for Mumbai and India. When it comes to Leo, it would not be the right platform to speak. What could anyone talk about him? He has achieved everything; we admire his dedication and commitment. He is loved so much for his humility and who he is. On behalf of all of us, I would like to wish his family the very best in health. Thank you for being here. Hope Indian football reaches the heights we aspire to," Tendulkar added.

After his first day of the ‘GOAT India Tour’ 2025, where he made the trip from Kolkata and Hyderabad, the global star footballer, Lionel Messi, arrived in Mumbai amidst the growing fan gathering outside the Wankhede Stadium, where he is expected to meet the star cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar, before playing a few kicks in a friendly contest.

The gates of the Wankhede Stadium will open at 1:15 in the afternoon, and the organizers have made a long build-up aimed at keeping the fans through the musical function. DJ Chetas will take the stage after the local DJ entertains them for a few minutes. The on-field program will get full momentum with an All-Star 7vs7 football game.

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There was massive police protection when Messi arrived in Mumbai. He is anticipated to enter the stadium at around 5:37 in the afternoon. Following his arrival, he is scheduled to take selfies with the celebrities. He will also interact with 60 children- 30 boys and 30 girls- as a part of the Maharashtra government’s project.

Lionel Messi to play football with Sachin Tendulkar

Messi will take a lap of the ground before moving to the field, where he will be joined by the Indian football star, Sunil Chhetri, and the cricketing legend, Sachin Tendulkar, for a football and cricket-ball exchange program around 6:40 in the evening. He is also expected to be greeted by the Bollywood stars Kareena Kapoor, John Abraham, and Jackie Shroff.

Watch the video here: 

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Argentine footballer Lionel Messi arrives at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai.

Lionel Messi is in Mumbai for his G.O.A.T. Tour India 2025. pic.twitter.com/SYo8FeUvRW

— ANI (@ANI) December 14, 2025

The stage will later see the representatives of the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) present the trophy of the winning all-stars team before being invited to have a few words to the audience, which will bring the on-field proceedings to a close.

Later, Messi will fly to Delhi on December 15, which will be the last day of his three-day tour to India. There is a growing speculation of the footballer meeting Virat Kohli, who has arrived in India with his family on December 14. Messi is also expected to meet the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in Delhi.

The global football superstar, Lionel Messi, will be in Mumbai on December 14 as part of the ‘GOAT India Tour’, following his appearances in Kolkata and Hyderabad on the opening day. The 38-year-old is expected to arrive at the Wankhede Stadium at around 5:35 in the evening, with a full house set to get the golden blue moon opportunity to see the icon live.

The gates  of the Wankhede Stadium will open around 1:15 in the afternoon, and the organizers have planned a long build-up aimed at keeping the fans through music. The local DJ will have an early program, followed by F Chetas, as the stadium will gradually get filled ahead of Messi’s arrival. The on-field program will get full momentum in the evening with an All-Star 7vs7 football game across the two surfaces.

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Messi is expected to enter the stadium at around 5:37 pm. Following his arrival, he is expected to take part in a selfie zone with the celebrities, along with taking penalty kicks. He will also interact with 60 children- 30 boys and 30 girls- as part of the Maharashtra government’s project.

Lionel Messi to play football with Sachin Tendulkar at this time

Messi is scheduled to take a lap of the ground before moving to the field of play, where he will be joined by the Indian football icon, Sunil Chhetri, and cricket legend, Sachin Tendulkar, for a football and cricket-bat exchange program around 6:40 in the evening. Kareena Kapoor, John Abraham, and Jackie Shroff are expected to be part of the function.

The stage proceedings will include the representatives of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), as part of the event. The footballer is anticipated to present the trophy to the winning All Stars team before being invited to say a few words to the audience, bringing the on-field proceedings to a close.

For many stands, Sunday will give a chance to watch the footballers up close, with the young players being involved. The Argentine will travel to Delhi on Monday for the final leg of the tour, where he will meet the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.  

During the third and last game of the three-match ODI series between the hosts India and the visitors South Africa, the former Indian captain Rohit Sharma became the fourth Indian to record 20,000 international runs.

While the series was 1-1 before the series-decider, Vizag hosted the series finale on Saturday (December 6), where the hosts India chose to field first after winning the toss. After South Africa were bowled out for 270 runs in 47.5 overs, India comfortably chased down the target in just 39.5 overs after losing only one wicket, as all the top order batters for India slammed the Proteas bowlers.

While Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 116 not out off 121 balls, and Virat Kohli scored 65 not out off 45 balls, Rohit Sharma smashed 75 off 73 balls with seven fours and three sixes. During the chase, Rohit completed his 20,000 runs in international cricket and became only the 14th cricketer to record 20,000 international runs. 

Watch: Rohit Sharma 75 (73) vs SA extended highlight full video

Indian cricketers with 20,000 international runs

Sachin Tendulkar

Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was the first Indian to record 20,000 runs in international cricket history. Even more than a decade after his international cricket retirement, Sachin is holding the record for most international runs with 34,357 runs.  

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is regarded as one of the greatest batters in the history of international cricket, a master in the ODI format. He has already scored 27,975 ODI runs, and with 42 more runs, he will surpass legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara (28,016 runs) to become the second most run-scorer in international cricket history.

Rahul Dravid

“The Wall” Rahul Dravid was the second Indian batter to record 20,000 runs in international cricket. The right-handed batter scored 24064 international runs before retiring from international cricket. 

Rohit Sharma

A versatile batter became a legend since he was promoted as an opener in international cricket. The right-handed batter has scored 20,048 runs in international cricket, as he became the fourth Indian to record 20,000 international runs. 

Joe Root scored a brilliant century yesterday in the second Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane. The match is being played with the pink ball under lights. Root remained unbeaten on 135 runs, and England reached 325 for nine wickets at stumps after 74 overs. This was his 40th Test century and brought him closer to several world records held by Sachin Tendulkar.

After this knock, the debate has started again—can Joe Root break Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the most runs in Test cricket? At 34, Root finally scored his first Test century against Australia after 12 long years. With 160 Test matches already played, he has reached many big milestones in the format.

Root has also created a few Test records that Sachin Tendulkar could not achieve in his long and legendary career. Here are three such records that belong to Joe Root but not to Sachin.

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There were daft shots to endure. There was Mitchell Starc discomforting England’s top order and threatening to run through the tail.

And, through it all, there was the defiance and brilliance of Joe Root. That tiresome statistic about not having made a Test century in Australia… pic.twitter.com/k3wTLAGTP8

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 4, 2025

3 Test Records Joe Root Achieved That Even Sachin Tendulkar Never Did

1. Fifty-plus scores in most consecutive Tests

Consistency is very important in Test cricket. Both Root and Tendulkar showed this throughout their careers. Sachin scored fifty-plus runs in 10 consecutive Tests from December 2009 to October 2010. But Joe Root went further and created a world record by scoring fifty-plus runs in 12 consecutive Tests. He achieved this from October 2016 to August 2017.

2. Hundred in both innings of a Test match

Sachin Tendulkar scored 51 Test hundreds but never made a century in both innings of the same match. Joe Root achieved this rare milestone in August 2024 at Lord’s against Sri Lanka, scoring 143 in the first innings and 103 in the second innings.

3. Most catches in Test cricket

Sachin Tendulkar ended his Test career with 115 catches in 200 matches. Joe Root has already gone far ahead with 213 catches, making him the player with the most catches in Test cricket history. This record does not seem likely to be broken anytime soon.

Another milestone for Sachin Tendulkar. To date, no other batter has been able to touch the record. As of now, Sachin Tendulkar is the only batter across the world who has 30,000 international runs under his belt.

Another former cricketer, Kumar Sangakkara, is 2nd in the list, having gathered 28,016 runs throughout his career. Modern-day cricket legend, who is still active in international cricket, has accumulated 27,673 runs. During a Test match between India and Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad on November 20, 2009, Tendulkar completed his 30 thousand international runs. Eventually, he got a total of 34,357 runs across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is before hanging up his boots.

 It was a high-scoring encounter between India and Sri Lanka, which ended up in a draw. India registered 426 and 412/4 in the first and second innings, respectively. And Sri Lanka scored 760 runs in exchange for 7 wickets in their first innings batting part and declared. Mahela Jayawardene was named the best player of the game for playing a 275-run knock.

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Sachin Tendulkar completed 30,000 runs during a India vs Sri Lanka home Test match

But, as of now, the match is still remembered for the unmatchable record of Sachin Tendulkar. It was the last day of the match, and he remained not out for 100 off 211. The century itself caused another record, as that was Sachin's 43rd Test and 88th international hundred. He achieved the 30,000 international run record before completing the century. During the 44th over of the day, Tendulkar guided an inswinging delivery from Chanaka Welegedara to deep square leg for a single and reached the mark.

It is worth noting that in the year 2000, Tendulkar became the first batter to have scored 50 international hundreds; in 2008, he passed Brian Lara as the leading Test run-scorer; and in the years after, he went past 13,000 Test runs, 30,000 international runs, and 50 Test hundreds.

ODI centuries are hard to come by these days, with most of the top-order players aiming to contribute only in aggressive shots from the start of the innings. Centuries don’t hold the same edge for respective teams if they don’t come at a particular rate, and the teams end up losing the contest. In the recent clash between the West Indies and New Zealand, Shai Hope created a huge feat.

During his century, the West Indies wicket-keeper batter and the captain of the side became only the fifth batter in the world cricket to register centuries against all the Test-playing nations. It also has the former Australia captain, Ricky Ponting, along with India's Sachin Tendulkar and South Africa's Hashim Amla in the side. 

It's an art to score ODI centuries. Crafting to the condition of the surface against the pacers or the spinners in various situations of the game, with several changes of rules and reverse swing coming into the equation, batters need to tackle various obstcales for the centuries. Also, if the batters come late in the department, they have to keep going with the higher strike rate to help the team's score. 

Let’s take a look at the list of players to score ODI centuries against all Test-playing Nations ft. Shai Hope

1. Ricky Ponting (Australia)

The former Australian top-order batter and the captain of the side, Ricky Ponting, was a true ace when it came to piling up on the records for his team. Through his legendary career, Ponting became the first batter in the 50-over format to record centuries against all the Test-playing nations in the ODI format.

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The 50-year-old ended his ODI career with 13704 runs in 365 innings. The right-handed batter recorded this feat at an average of 42.03 and a strike rate of 80.39 with the help of 30 centuries and 82 half-centuries at the best score of 164 runs. It was an incredibly successful career for the veteran, who won several World Cups as captain for the Australian side.

2. Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa)

The flamboyant South Africa batter, Herschelle Gibbs, may have had his ups and downs in his ODI career, but he became the second member of the ODI side after Ricky to smash ODI centuries against all the Test-playing nations of his time. The hard-hitting batter reached the milestone against England in Cape Town more than a couple of decades ago.

Gibbs, who scored five of his 21 centuries against the West Indies and Australia, smacked 8094 runs in the 50-over format for the Rainbow Nation in 240 innings at an average of 36.13 and a strike rate of 83.26. The right-handed batter celebrated 21 centuries and 37 half-centuries in this process at the best score of 175 runs.

3. Sachin Tendulkar (India)

Is there any list of records in world cricket without Sachin Tendulkar? The cricketing God has found his name in possibly all the formats and lists of the game. The former captain of the Indian cricket side was the third to reach the milestone of reaching centuries in the ODI cricket against all the Test-playing nations. He celebrated his 100th international century against Bangladesh in 2012.

Tendulkar is the leading run-getter of the ODI format. He smashed 18426 runs in 452 innings of the 50-over format at an average of 44.83 and a strike rate of 86.23 with the help of 49 centuries and 96 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 200 runs. Tendulkar’s record of 49 centuries was breached only by Virat Kohli during the ODI World Cup 2023 semifinal against New Zealand in Mumbai.

4. Hashim Amla (South Africa)

Hashim Amla is another Protea batter who used to break the ODI records for fun. Opening the batting for the Rainbow Nation, Amla was superb against both the pacers and spinners with the bat in hand. One of his exceptional records was to score centuries against all the Test-playing nations of the game. He completed the record in November 2014 when he got a ton down under.

The 42-year-old Natal-born batter nailed 8113 runs in 178 innings of the ODI format at an average of around 50 and a strike rate of 88.39 with the help of 27 centuries and 39 half-centuries at the best score of 159 runs.

5. Shai Hope (West Indies)

The new entry of the list is West Indies’ captain of the ODI format, Shai Hope. In the first innings of the second clash at McLean Park in Napier, Hope celebrated the record by coming out to bat at number four. The right-handed batter nailed a fine record of unbeaten 109 runs with the help of 13 boundaries and four sixes at a strike rate of 157.97 in 69 deliveries as the West Indies recorded 247 in their allotted 34 overs.

Hope now has collected 6097 runs in 82 innings of the ODI format at an average of nearly 50 and a strike rate of nearly 80 with the help of 19 centuries and 30 half-centuries at the best score of 170.

The Indian women’s team has won its maiden ICC World Cup after beating South Africa in the final at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. Their captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, recalled the advice of the former player, Sachin Tendulkar, and others ahead of the final on November 02. 

In the semifinal against Australia, the Blue Brigade completed a fine chase on the back of a fine century from Jemimah Rodrigues, who remained unbeaten on 127 runs as they beat the then-defending champions, who were unbeaten for the last two World Cups since losing the semi in the 2017 World Cup.

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“The night before the match, Sachin (Tendulkar) sir called. He shared his experience and asked us to keep our balance. When the game is going fast, just slow it down a little. Try to control it because when you go too fast, chances are you can stumble. That is what we need to avoid. I was just thinking of all the advice I was getting from the seniors.”

Harmanpreet Kaur reflects on Sachin Tendulkar’s suggestion ahead of the Women’s WC 2025 final

Harmanpreet recalled how different it feels to be called a world champion. After the final, they had a meeting with India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, at the latter’s residence, when he lauded the players for their remarkable resilience and comeback in the event.

“Whenever we see each other, we are just saying, ‘world champion’. It is a very different feeling. We were waiting for the time when we would feel this way. My mother and father were there. For me, it was a very special moment to lift the World Cup trophy with them. Since my childhood, they have heard me say that I want to wear India’s jersey, play for the country, lead the team, and win the World Cup.” Kaur added in the ICC review.

“You all have done a very big job. In India, cricket is not just a game; it has become the life of the people. If everything goes well in cricket, the entire country feels good, but if there is anything wrong in cricket, the entire country shakes. I feel that you can be very motivational because you hold a great power of success in your hands.” PM Narendra Modi congratulated.

The former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, recalled one of the matches against Australia at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground when he faced several sledges from the opposition along with former state and national team-mate, Sachin Tendulkar. Shastri revealed that when Australia tried to go after Tendulkar, the latter was prepared for a response. 

Shastri recalled that Sachin Tendulkar planned to give it back to Australia in the same manner, while the former head coach suggested that Tendulkar shut up and reply with his batting.

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“I remember one at the SCG. It was Sachin's first tour. I had just reached a hundred, and Sachin had just come to bat. And he was being sledged by the Waugh brothers (Steve and Mark). 'You little this, you little that'. And Mike Whitney had come on to the field as a 12th man. I was having a pow-pow with Allan Border until I reached my 100. He took the ball in his hand and said, 'Get back into your crease; I'll break your head'. I turned around there.” Shastri expressed at the Summer of Cricket Lunch hosted by Cricket ACT.

Ravi Shastri recalls Sachin Tendulkar’s advice to reply to Australia’s sledging

Tendulkar has played 110 games against Australia, where he scored 6707 runs with the help of 20 centuries and 31 half-centuries at the best score of 241* at an average of nearly 50.

“There were mics, and you could be fined. So I went to the centre of the pitch and I shouted across the SCG, 'Hey Mike! If you can claim to throw as well as you can bowl, you wouldn't be the 12th man of Australia. And that was it. Sachin came to me and said, 'Wait till I get to my hundred. I will also give them some of this. Shastri reckoned.

“I told Sachin, 'You shut up. You've got enough class; your bat will do the talking. Let me do the talking. And from 100 to 200, there wasn't a word, but at the end of the game, they were the first guys in the dressing room with a beer. Play it hard. You've got to be competitive. That's what the crowd respects. That's what the opposition respects.” The former Indian spinner added.

The ICC Women's World Cup 2025 ended with an iconic moment for Indian cricket, as the Women in Blue lifted their first-ever World Cup trophy. In an exciting final at DY Patil Stadium on November 2, India defeated South Africa to become World Champions. This incredible victory also made India the first Asian country to win the ICC Women’s World Cup in any format, marking a new beginning for women's cricket.

Interestingly, the win from 2025 matches the men’s ODI World Cup victory in 2011 in some fascinating ways. Both wins took place in Mumbai, albeit at different venues, with DY Patil Stadium hosting the women's victory and the Wankhede hosting the men's win. There are five other similarities that are just as interesting about these two historic World Cup winning campaigns for India that show how good India is at cricket.

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Final match happened on 2nd date of the month

On April 2, 2011, the Indian men's cricket team, led by MS Dhoni, made it into the record books as the first team to win the ICC Men's World Cup on home soil. In a spectacular final match against Sri Lanka, Dhoni played an unbeaten innings in which every Indian player pulled together to achieve a moment that millions of Indian fans would remember for generations. The win came after waiting almost 28 years for the title and propelled India into a position of dominance in world cricket for generations to come, inspiring a nation full of fans and future cricketers. 

Fourteen years and seven months later, history repeated itself — this time through the Indian women's team. On November 2, 2025, kicked off by Harmanpreet Kaur, India pulled off a magnificent win to clinch the ICC Women's World Cup title against South African in an electrifying game in front of hundreds of home fans, India’s first all-time women's World Cup title. From women's success on home soil to the dates themselves, the coincidence was exquisite — and this was poetic on many levels, which reflected India's progression in women's cricket.

Indian team played 1 match outside India against an Asian team in 2011 World Cup and Women's World Cup 2025

The 2011 ICC Men’s World Cup occurred in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. India played most of their matches in India, and the combination of friendly conditions and home support was vital to the tournament's success. Under captain MS Dhoni, India miraculously even had one group stage match that took place outside of India — against Bangladesh in Dhaka — which they won, taking the wind in their sails into a successful tournament run. 

Likewise, the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup was co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with Harmanpreet Kaur’s side playing most of their fixtures at home. Mirroring the 2011 men's pattern, India had an away group-stage match in Colombo, which they dominated over arch-rivals Pakistan. The victory not only was a confidence booster but echoed the consistency and advantage of India’s men’s run in 2011.

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India lost to South Africa and England in the group stage

In the 2011 Men's World Cup, India was dealt a blow to the team's title aspirations in Nagpur when South Africa defeated the Men in Blue in their group stage encounter. Fourteen years later, the Indian women's team lost to South Africa (the Proteas) in their league stage clash in Visakhapatnam. 

During the group stage showdown between India and England in 2011, the fans would talk for years about how a tie happened in Bengaluru. Remarkably, fourteen years later, the women's team would lose to the same opponent (albeit by only four runs) in Indore.  

Indian opener with name starting from 'S' ends as 2nd highest run-scorer

During the men's World Cup in 2011, Sachin Tendulkar led India in runs scored with 482 after nine innings, averaging 53.55 runs per innings. He finished the series second amongst all players in runs scored, and played an integral role in India's first title-winning campaign. 

In 2025, Smriti Mandhana matched Tendulkar's achievement in leading India in runs scored, and originally finished second overall in runs scored, with 434 over nine innings, averaging 54.25 runs per innings. Both players hail from Maharashtra, highlighting the state's historic contributions towards India's leading batters. 

Trophy came after 3 seasons of a T20 league in the nation

The IPL commenced in 2008, and just three years later, India were crowned the Champions at the 2011 Men’s World Cup. Similarly, following the formation of the WPL in 2023, the Indian women’s team were victorious at the 2025 ODI World Cup, a remarkable parallel between milestones in men’s and women’s cricket.

To further add to the coincidence, both Indian Captains played a crucial role in securing their respective championship victory. In 2011, MS Dhoni hit the memorable winning six to give India a title victory, while in 2025, Harmanpreet Kaur displayed her calm under pressure by taking the final catch to guide India to their first-ever Women’s World Cup title in dramatic fashion.