Ticketing a cause

The auction price of the luxurious ticket was Rs 5 lakh and was purchased by Kakade eventually for a price tag of 11 lakh. The ticket has become a centre of attraction amongst his friends and relatives. “A lot of my friends have actually visited my house to have a look at the ticket autographed by Sachin,” says 18-year-old Kakade,who is studying at Symbiosis College. Besides,studying he also assists his father Sanjay Kakade in their infrastructure business.

It was last week that Kakade learnt about the IPL ticket auction. However,what prompted Kakade to buy the ticket was the fact that Tendulkar will be donating the amount to Apnalaya,a NGO that works for the betterment of the slum children. “My respects for Sachin have only grown even more after this. He is an extremely down to earth person,” says Vikram,who met Tendulkar for the first time during the programme.

Accompanying Vikram was his mother Usha Kakade,vice chairman of Kakade Infrastructure. “We are very happy that the money with which we have bought the ticket will be used for a good cause,” says she.

Vikram’s love for the cricketer dates back to the time when Kakade was eight. But he does not follow all cricket matches. Personally,amongst the IPL teams,Mumbai Indians is his favourite one,particularly because Tendulkar is the part and captain of the team. Amongst the other Indian cricketers,Kakade is fond of Yuvraj Singh.

Surprisingly,Kakade has no plans to use the ticket and watch the match at the theatre today. “I am extremely busy with my work and studies but I do plan to go at least once for some show running at the city theatre and watch the Mumbai Indians playing live on the big screen,” he says.

As of now,Kakade hopes to attend the auction programme where he can buy Tendulkar’s cricket bat. “He also plans to donate that amount to Apnalaya,which is really a good gesture on his part. I just hope,I get a chance to buy that as well,” he concludes.