Tendulkar, Dhoni for Dadar Union charity match

Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni to be rival captains for charity tie planned by Dilip Vengsarkarto help rebuild his beloved Dadar Union Club

Tendulkar, Dhoni for Dadar Union charity match

Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni to be rival captains for charity tie planned by Dilip Vengsarkarto help rebuild hisu00a0beloved Dadar Union Clubu00a0

Dadar Union Sporting Club not being a powerhouse anymore presents one of the saddest stories in Mumbai cricket. They had the names... Madhav Mantri, Naren Tamhane, Subhash Gupte, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sanjay Manjrekar. They had the performancesu2026 'A' division champions from 1973 to 1976 among a total of 12 triumphs. After their last win in 1988, the most famous club in Mumbai cricket is now languishing in the 'C' Division of the Kanga League which kicks off this Sunday. It's a mighty fall for a team which, not very long ago, was considered unbeatable.

Its former players have realised that the very existence of the club is in doubt. A small, dilapidated structure is the sole and sad reminder of the club's glorious history. The encroachment over the southern side of the club's boundary has left it too short and it's been a long time since the turf was used to host matches. But now, things will change and a concrete structure will replace the shanty.

Fund-raiser
Obviously, this is not possible through mere enthusiasm. Vengsarkar intends organising a fund-raising match.

"All the India players have agreed to participate, and we will have a Dhoni XI vs Tendulkar XI Twenty20 game.

We will also bring out a souvenir, which will have articles from our club stalwarts like Gavaskar, Manjrekar and someone like Ajit Wadekar, who played against Dadar Union many times in the famous battle of roses," Vengsarkar said.

Dadar Union legend VS Patil, who has been managing the club for several years, told MiD DAY: "Two years ago, some players approached me and expressed their desire to improve things by demolishing the old structure and build a new one.

"Dilip (Vengsarkar) in his capacity as vice-president of the Mumbai Cricket Association is helping us build the structure. One day Sanjay (Manjrekar) came over with his friend Ashish Parulekar (another former Dadar Union player) and handed over cheques as contributions from our former players."

Vengsarkar, who always played the Kanga League for Dadar Union since joining the club in the early 1970s, is determined to make a difference. During a visit to the club at Major Dadkar Maidan, Matunga, last week, Vengsarkar said: "Dadar Union is one of Mumbai's top-class cricket institutions and we want to utilise this part of maidan to restore some of its old glory. Now, it (club premises) is in shambles. The plan is to make it a comfortable place so that the old members can also pay a visit for a cup of tea and watch cricket here. We cannot have matches here, but we want to have a good coaching facility."