Sachin Tendulkar is often hailed as the greatest cricketer of all time. Yet his coach, Ramakant Achrekar, felt that another pupil of his was more naturally gifted. It was Vinod Kambli who Achrekar was talking about. Years later, Tendulkar is remembered as ‘the one’, while Kambli is hailed as one of cricket’s biggest ‘what ifs’.
The Vinod Kambli story
Tendulkar went on to play 664 matches and scored 34357 runs for India. Kambli played just 121 matches despite hitting two Test hundreds in his first 4 matches and being one the fastest to score 1000 runs in the longest format. The left-hander played his last Test match in 1995 despite averaging 54.20, while his ODI career ended in 2000. Meanwhile, Tendulkar went on to play until 2013.
What went wrong? Reports have suggested that Kambli wavered from the right path. Rumours have it that he partied until late at night during the 1996 ODI World Cup. Many allege he became an alcoholic and that was the reason behind his professional and even personal struggles. After his retirement, Kambli has been in and out of rehabilitation to overcome his alcohol addiction.
Recently, Yograj Singh spoke exclusively to InsideSport, where he shared his chat with Vinod Kambli, where he told the cricketer to mend his ways or all would be gone within the blink of an eye.
INSIDESPORT EXCLUSIVE
YOGRAJ SINGH SAID:
“I suggested Vinod Kambli to stop partying, smoking cigarettes and going to the girls, otherwise you will be finished and you will be crying. He told me that now he is the king and that my time was over” #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/hx0KQNBVzC
— InsideSport (@InsideSportIND) June 11, 2025
Yograj Singh’s epiphany about Vinod Kambli comes true
A former cricketer himself, Yograj knows a thing or two about when things don’t go right for you. His own career was marred by injury, as the fast bowler only played 43 matches of competitive cricket and had to end his career at just 27. Knowing how quickly it can go downhill, he recounts having a conversation with Kambli. He says he advised the stylish batter to not veer off his path. But the brash cricketer neglected his advice.
“I told Vinod Kambli once, ‘These parties, smoking cigarettes, going to girls – stop it; otherwise you’ll be finished, and you’ll be crying. See what happened to him. I was talking to him personally but then he said, ‘Sir, apka time chala gaya (your time has passed). He used to think, ‘I’m the king’. You are not bigger than the game,” Yograj Singh told InsideSport.
The post “Told Vinod Kambli to stop partying & smoking, your cricket career will be finished” – Yograj Singh appeared first on Inside Sport India.