Anil Kumble to deliver seventh Dilip Sardesai memorial lecture next month

Mumbai: India's legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble will deliver the seventh Dilip Sardesai memorial lecture next month. This was revealed by his wife Nandini Sardesai. "It will be held at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) on October 3 at 5.15 pm," she said.

The former Indian opening batsman, who died at the age of 67 in Mumbai was considered to be the best batsman against the spinners.

In his memory, every year prominent cricketing personalities deliver lectures. Sunil Gavaskar, Bishan Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid have so far delivered lectures in the past.

Sardesai was born in Goa, which was under the Portuguese colonial rule then. So far he is the only Goan to have played the game for India, a sort of local icon. He had to learn Portuguese as a compulsory language at the primary level school.

When Goa was liberated, he had the choice of opting for a Portuguese citizenship, but he didn’t go for it. Had he accepted the dual citizenship, it would have been today’s Euro status.

Sardesai was popularly known as 'Sardee-man'. During his successful 1970–71 tour of West Indies, Sardesai was asked at the Mumbai airport whether he had anything to declare. 'I have come here with runs', he replied, 'and I'll go back with more'.