A former CAB official characterizes Sachin as “Dada bas thoda sa zyaada khaya”.

Tendulkar’s affinity for chingri malai curry and recalls his meal before the India-Kenya cricket match. 1998 Tri-series final In 1998, prior to India’s tri-series final against Kenya at Eden Gardens, Sachin Tendulkar contacted the former Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) joint secretary Samar Paul to request lunch. Paul later disclosed that he was initially hesitant to invite Sachin because the final was scheduled for the very next day and a healthy meal could have compromised Sachin’s health.

However, after consuming chingri malai curry and mutton do pyaaza the day before, the Master Blaster, as he is commonly known, proceeded to smash a spectacular century, resulting in India’s nine-wicket victory. In the meantime, Paul recalled Sachin’s fondness for Bengali cuisine and how concerned he was for the cricketer’s health prior to the final.

“I informed Sachin that he has a match tomorrow, so it would be best if he came the day after the match. He disagreed, stating, “I had an early flight the following morning, so I’d prefer to come today for lunch before the game.” I was extremely anxious about his health and how his body would react after consuming a nutritious meal.

If he fails to perform well or something goes awry, the blame would fall on me. According to Paul, Tendulkar ate a hearty lunch that included his favorite chingri malai curry (jumbo tiger prawns cooked in coconut milk) and mutton do pyaaza.

Paul reported that Sachin was ecstatic after assisting India defeat Kenya in the final. He also mentioned that Sachin told him after the match that even though he overate, it had little impact on the final.

“It was business as usual for Sachin, who led India to victory with a brilliant innings. “I just overate a bit, but it didn’t make much of a difference,” he added with a smile after the game.