Pune basks in 'Blades of Glory'

'Blades of Glory', the museum set up by Rohan Pate, a former U-19 player for Maharashtra, has a remarkable collection of artifacts, which include a bat signed by Sir Donald Bradman displaying his career statistics besides bats used by cricketers who scored over 10,000 runs.

The museum, spread across over 4000 sq ft, was formally inaugurated by Sachin Tendulkar who was here to play an IPL match with the Pune Warriors.

An interesting feature of the memorabilia is an exclusive section devoted to Tendulkar with a display of 100 miniature bats denoting the record international centuries by him with details of the score, venue, year and the opposition team.

"I started thinking about the idea of a museum after meeting Sachin, who gifted me an autographed bat about two years ago," said Pate.

He subsequently travelled extensively to various countries to approach famous cricketers and institutions to have the collectibles and souvenirs that now adorn the walls of 'Blades of Glory' in Sahakar Nagar area.

Tendulkar fans can relish the sight of the T-shirt worn by him during the 2011 World Cup final as well as his helmet, chest and elbow guard, bearing his autographs. The memorabilia also includes the bats used by Sir Garfield Sobers, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid.

What promised to be an instant attraction for cricket lovers, the museum has a section that displays the souvenirs of the bowling greats, including the jerseys worn by Shane Warne, Muttiah Murlidharan and Waqar Younis. More