Sachin Tendulkar reveals how he used to improve his skills to tackle reverse swing: ‘Used to tape the ball up…’

Sachin Tendulkar, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest batters to play the game, shared how he worked on improving his skills to tackle reverse swing. Tendulkar played in an era where pacers like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and others were dominating the cricketing world with their reverse swing but the Indian legend found a way to get the better of them. The Indian batting stalwart finished his career as the leading run-getter in international cricket with 100 centuries across formats. He made certain adjustments to his technique throughout his career to dominate bowlers of different generations. Sachin Tendulkar (ISPL as a core committee member) during the launch of India's pioneering tennis ball T10 cricket tournament Season 2 in Mumbai on August 18, 2024. (AFP)

The Master Blaster revealed how he used to practice with a tennis ball by tapping from one side to polish his skills to face reverse swing.

“During my playing days, I used to tape the ball up from one side. In season (leather) balls, we look for the shiny and the rough side and in the tennis ball, we would apply tape on one side and I used to practice reverse swing to face it in international cricket,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Indian Street Premier League (ISPL), a T10 cricket tournament, has also brought a new twist in their new season with the introduction of reverse swing with the tennis ball.

'Batter’s technique will be tested in ISPL

Tendulkar, who is a Core Committee Member of ISPL, feels that the introduction of reverse swing will test batters' technique.

“I thought why not introduce it in this format and if this is implemented then the batter’s technique will also be tested,” he said.

“If we are giving some advantage to the batsmen then the bowlers also need to get in the game,” he said.

“The ISPL is about giving a platform to those who may not have had the opportunity to showcase their talent,” he said. “The tournament has brought the joy of the game to new audiences and opened doors for young cricketers across the country. It is my hope that the league continues to grow and make a lasting impact on Indian cricket, giving every player a chance to dream big.”

The ISPL, the nation's first-ever tennis ball T10 cricket tournament played inside a stadium, gears up for its Season 2 which gets underway from January 26th to February 9th, 2025, at Dadoji Konddev Stadium, Thane.

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