Picture Credit: Twitter
Former India player and coach Ravi Shastri had recently shared pictures of the iconic Audi 100 he won in 1985 after beating Pakistan in the final of the World Championship of Cricket by eight wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Shastri recently got the same car restored by Super Car Club Garage as he shared pictures of receiving the keys to the car by Gautam Hari Singhania, Chairman and MD, Raymond Group at JK House in Mumbai.
The 60-year-old was given the car as he won the Player of the Series award in the World Championship of Cricket. At that time, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi issued a special order to the Indian customs for waiving the heavy import duty the car entailed. Ravi Shastri tweeted about the car and called it a ‘national asset’. His tweet said, “This is as nostalgic as it can get! This is a ?? national asset. This is #TeamIndia’s @AudiIN - @SinghaniaGautam.”
While talking at an Audi event in 2017, Shastri addressed the emotions he felt as he received the car in 1985. He talked about how all his teammates jumped over the car as he later took a round of the MCG in the car. "I still get goosebumps when I think about the moment," Shastri said.
"I was being interviewed during the presentation ceremony when I suddenly heard a roar from the crowd and turned back to see that the entire team was sitting on my car. I stopped the interview in between and asked for the keys. I immediately took the wheel and saw that there was enough fuel for a small drive. I then took a victory lap with the entire team sitting on the car. It's a memory that will stay with me forever," he continued
“While others play drive shots at the MCG, I actually drove a car and that too without a license. My eyes while batting in that tournament went to mid-wicket, I knew I was the front runner. Javed Miandad who was the captain of Pakistan at that time told me that someone from his team was going to win it. I told him, 'Take a walk', as I wanted the car more than ever. More than 10,000 people had gathered at the docks when the car was brought into India."
The car is still in pristine condition and Shastri takes it for a drive every Sunday if he is in Mumbai. "The car is one of my prized possessions and it reminds me of one of the most glorious moments of my life," Shastri said.