Pele to be honoured at Eden Gardens during India vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) will pay a tribute to legendary Brazilian footballer Pele, who died recently, by showing footage of his playing days on the screens of the Eden Gardens when the stadium hosts the second ODI between India and Sri Lanka on Thursday. Pele had famously visited the stadium to play for the New York Cosmos against Mohun Bagan on September 24, 1977.

The surviving members of the Mohun Bagan team that played the game have also been invited for the match. Pele has a substantial fan base in India, particularly in the city of Kolkata. The three-time World Cup winner, made three trips to India. His first trip was in 1977 to play in a friendly match against Mohun Bagan. Led by Indian veteran PK Banerjee, Bagan held the Cosmos to a 2-2 tie. Over 65,000 people filled the stadium to see the game.

It was the penultimate match of Pele's storied career. He stayed only a day in Kolkata and played his final match a week later. Pele returned to India in 2015 and 2018 as a guest for events.

Pele was laid to rest at Vila Belmiro, the home ground of Santos FC where he spent the majority of his club career, from 1956 to 1974. He died aged 82 following a long battle with cancer. In September 2021, Pele had a colon tumour removed. However, on November 29, he checked into the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo, according to Al Jazeera.

CAB's joint secretary Debabrata Das also said a laser show has been arranged during the innings break. Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, who is part of the commentary team for the series, will inaugurate the match by ringing the bell.

The demand for tickets was lukewarm but it increased after Virat Kohli's brilliant century in Guwahati in the first ODI on Tuesday. The city's mayor has already looked into Eden's security measures. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been invited, and so are other dignitaries.