Sachin Tendulkar is on a comeback trail, not in cricket, but in the frenzied arena of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The Indian cricket legend has collaborated with the popular cricket NFT platform Rario to make this happen.
The new project will commemorate the cricketing idol’s career and life moments in the form of digital collectibles. Rario has partnered with eminent cricketers, including Aaron Finch, Faf du Plessis, Rishabh Pant, Virender Sehwag, and Zaheer Khan earlier.
Tendulkar said that “it is exciting to see NFT technology bringing fans closer to sports, giving them an opportunity to treasure their favorite moments.” He added that “the team at Rario was committed to building a cricket community using technology in a responsible way. I am therefore happy to partner with the team, to launch my digital collectibles exclusively on the Rario platform.”
Rario co-founder and CEO Ankit Wadhwa said that “partnering with the Master Blaster with him investing in Rario is a surreal feeling. It is a testament to our vision of making fandom more accessible.” Wadhwa added that with the help of NFTs, platforms can create “a world where stars don’t just exist on a distant flickering screen or in a crowded stadium, and fans don’t get to be passive observers, but active participants. It is only fitting that the man who once carried a billion hopes, is now blessing us in our journey to redefine fandom for a billion fans. With the God of Cricket backing us, sky is the limit!”
Besides Tendulkar, former team India cricket captains — Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli have also hopped on the NFT wagon. Both have signed exclusive partnerships with Web 3 platform FanCraze to launch their player cards.
“We view marquee athletes as artists who create their art on the field of play. We are very excited to partner with MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli, the biggest stars cricket has ever produced, to build the new paradigm of engagement between cricketers and their fans,” said Anshum Bhambri, CEO, FanCraze.
