Pragyan Ojha recalls getting a special gift for dismissing Sachin Tendulkar in IPL 2009

Former India cricketer Pragyan Ojha has revealed that he had got a special gift from the franchise owner after dismissing Sachin Tendulkar during the 2009 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The tournament was held in South Africa then and Deccan Chargers was set to play against the Mumbai Indians in their third match of the season.

Sachin Tendulkar was in the form of his life then and no wonder even in the IPL, he was a crucial wicket for any opposition. Rather Ojha remembers how the Chargers’ owner who hailed from Hyderabad walked up to him and told that he will get a special gift if he picks Sachin’s wicket. Interestingly, the left-arm spinner had asked for a watch as a gift.

“This was in Durban, just before our game against MI. Our owner came to me, and the way I was bowling in South Africa, he had a word with me. He is from Hyderabad, [he is] one of the team owners in our local leagues in the Hyderabad Cricket Association system. He knows me right from my childhood. He walked up to me and said ‘Pragyan, if you get Sachin Tendulkar wicket, then definitely I’ll have a special gift for you’.

“He knew exactly that I used to love watches. I told him, ‘Sir, If I get his wicket, I need a watch’,” he said while speaking to Wisden India. As it turned out, Pragyan Ojha’s first scalp of the match was Sachin and as promised the franchise owner gifted him a watch. “It so happened, the next day, I got Sachin paaji’s wicket and he gifted me a watch,” the Hyderabad cricketer further added.

Pragyan Ojha won the Man of the Match award

Not only did Pragyan Ojha dismissed Tendulkar, he ended up winning the Man of the Match award returning with the figures of 3/21. The Deccan Chargers posted 168 runs batting first and then restricted the Mumbai Indians on 156 to win the game by 12 runs.

As for the memorable dismissal, Sachin, in his attempt to take on Ojha, sliced one straight to Herschelle Gibbs at cover when on 36 in the 11th over of the chase.