Sachin Tendulkar: Here's how Little Master lived like a king at Falaknuma Palace

Appreciating speedster Lasith Malinga, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on 4 August said the Sri Lankan is a world-class bowler and that it was a fantastic experience to play with him in the Indian Premier League. Tendulkar was in Hyderabad to get a royal feel at the famous Falaknuma Palace.

"It's a difficult answer. Malinga has totally a different type of action. I don't think any other bowler in the world, I have seen at the international level, who comes even 50 per cent close to that. He's a truly world-class bowler, true champion.

"Having played with him for Mumbai Indians was a fantastic experience. He is a thorough gentleman. On a lighter note, when many people ask me how to play him, I say 'bal ko nahin, ball ko dekho (don't look at the hair, look at the ball)," said Tendulkar.

Tendulkar's comments came in response to a question posed by the moderator on how to play Malinga.

Replying to a query on his fondness for Hyderabad, Tendulkar said he and the whole team looked forward to playing in Hyderabad and enjoy the 'biryani' the city is famous for.

Tendulkar said he quietly stayed at the famous Falaknuma Palace in the city for two days along with his family.

"I kept hearing a lot of things about Falaknuma from my friends. I wanted to have that royal experience. So, with my family, I had come there quietly for a couple of days. I spent two days at Falaknuma Palace. It was an enriching experience. To build a palace like that, it must have taken so much time. That imagination, that vision to have something as spectacular as that. It is something that stays with you forever. That experience has been special," Tendulkar said.

Asked about his recent social media post that he missed a bus in the United Kingdom, he said it was only a joke. "I had to re-post that I didn't miss the bus, but you guys definitely missed the joke."

-PTI