Sachin Tendulkar and Cricket Legends Pay Emotional Tribute to Dharmendra

Veteran Bollywood star Dharmendra, 89, died recently after a long illness. A lot has been written about his films and his versatility. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour, for his work. He left a legacy in films, had a fan base that crosses borders and was equally popular in non-film zones which included sports. That’s why various sports persons also paid him glowing tributes describing him a legend and icon of Indian cinema, whose work left a lasting mark on the masses.

‘Today, we have lost a legend of Indian cinema who captivated hearts with his charm and his talent. A true icon who inspired everyone who watched him,’ said Virat Kohli.

‘I, like many others, took an instant liking to Dharmendra ji, the actor, who entertained us with his versatility. That on-screen bond became stronger off-screen when I met him. His energy was incredibly infectious, and he would always tell me, Tumko dekhkar ek kilo khoon badh jaata hai mera. He had an effortless warmth, making everyone around him feel valued and special. Aisa lagta hai jaise mera 10 kilo khoon kam ho gaya hai. Will miss you,’ said Sachin Tendulkar.

Several Pakistani cricketers also paid a moving tribute to the star, calling him a global legend. ‘Dharmendra ji was a legendary hero, and Sholay remains an all-time classic. He leaves behind a remarkable legacy across the subcontinent and was immensely popular in Pakistan as well. My deepest condolences,’ said former captain Rashid Latif.

Dharmendra was a huge cricket fan and regularly followed the Indian cricket team and many a times openly praised players for their performances. Once he shared a photograph on social media of a chance encounter with Sachin Tendulkar on a flight and captioned it, ‘Desh ke gauravshaali Sachin se aaj achanak hawai jahaz mein mulaqat ho gai. Sachin jab jab mila mujhe hamesha mera pyaara beta ban ke mila… Jeete raho. Love you, Sachin.’

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir also paid his condolences and revealed that Dharmendra was the favourite actor in his household. He added that his personality and charisma were like none other.

Mohammed Siraj will also never forget him. On India’s historic Test series triumph against Australia in 2021, Dharmendra praised Indian pacer from his heart, not just for his heroics with the ball, but for his emotional strength. Siraj had remained with the Indian team despite the tragic loss of his father during the tour and fulfilled his late father’s dream of playing Test cricket. He claimed 13 wickets in the series and helped India in winning the series by 2–1.

When Siraj returned India, he drove straight from the Hyderabad airport to Khairtabad graveyard to pay his respects to his father and this deeply moved Dharmendra, and he penned an emotional note, ‘Siraj , Brave heart son of India Love you …Naaz hai tujh par, dil par walid ki maut ka sdma liye tum watan ki Aan ke liye match khelte rahe ..aur ek unhoni jeet watan ke naam darj kar ke lote..Kal tujhe apne walid ki qabbr par dekh kar mun bhar aya.’

PT Usha, one of India's greatest athletes, often called the country's ‘queen of track and field’ who won 23 medals in all, 14 of which were gold, is now a MP as well as the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). She recently shared a secret while paying a tribute to the late actor and disclosed that the Bollywood legend had gifted her a princely sum of Rs.50,000 as a private token of appreciation for her performance at the Seoul Asian Games 1986, where she won four gold and one silver medal. On an inflation calculator, that amount is worth approximately Rs.4.26 lakh today.

The best part was that the gesture was made quietly, without disclosing to media, for publicity and never sought an acknowledgement. This was a sign of his humility and genuine support for sports. Incidentally PT Usha now regrets that she never got to meet Dharmendra in person, ‘We couldn't meet personally due to our busy schedules but sometimes love & affection are enough to keep the hearts connected even 1000 miles apart.

Veteran film star Sharmila Tagore remembered him with the note, ‘Stardom can make people larger than life. Dharmendra, paradoxically, became larger by remaining human.’ She worked with him in many films and she also disclosed a cricket story.

The India-West Indies Kolkata Test was played from 31 December 1966 to 5 January 1967, and the last day of the Test was the birthday of India captain Tiger (Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi). During those days Sharmila Tagore was dating Pataudi and wanted to wish him his birthday in person. At that time Sharmila Tagore and Dharmendra were working together filming Mere Hamdam Mere Dost.

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She wanted to take an early morning flight from Mumbai to be in Kolkata for the match, and to celebrate Tiger’s birthday but also didn’t want the producer to suffer due to her sudden absence. She requested Dharmendra for an all-nighter, which he graciously agreed and shot till 7 am. No disclosure, no story and he never spoke of the inconvenience of working the whole night. However, this gesture helped Sharmila to board the flight that morning, without a guilt of putting producer in any inconvenience or loss.