Former India cricketer Vinod Kambli, whose early talent promised much more than his eventual career delivered, has long remained a figure of fascination in Indian cricket. While his health scare in late 2024 raised fresh concerns, Kambli appears to be recovering well, thanks to support from the BCCI and medical care.
Now, stories from his early cricketing days in England are resurfacing, highlighting both his immense self-belief and his lack of financial discipline.
Kambli’s brief stint in the UK club cricket circuit in the early 1990s is fondly remembered by those who saw him play. He had joined childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar, who had signed with Yorkshire, and instantly made an impression.
One of his former teammates, Nasa Hussain, told The Indian Express, “He just came in and smashed the first ball for six. No one had seen anything like it before. He was raw talent. In today’s age, he’d have been a millionaire.”
Despite earning just 25 pounds a match, Kambli refused to take up a part-time job, unlike most of his teammates. Solly Adam, who had arranged Tendulkar’s Yorkshire deal and mentored Kambli, recalled a key moment.
“One day, someone asked him why he didn’t get a job like the others. Kambli replied without hesitation: ‘Sachin and I will make money playing Test cricket. I don’t want distractions.’ That was incredible confidence from such a young man.”
Kambli finished the season with 700 pounds, which he handed to his father upon returning to India. However, Solly revealed that Kambli later spent all the money with his friends.
“Vinod never cared about money, nor did he value possessions,” Solly wrote in his memoir. “He had strong belief in his cricket, but not in handling wealth.”
Kambli’s early promise, marked by back-to-back double centuries against England, remains one of the most talked-about ‘what if’ stories in Indian cricket. His recent health issues and public appearances have reignited discussion around his life and legacy—both as a cricketer and a person who lived on his own terms.
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