MEET OUR FOUNDER

ROHAN PATE

Rohan Pate, the founder of Blades of Glory located in Pune, India, has always harbored an immense passion for cricket. Despite venturing into various business pursuits after his time as an under-19 cricketer, his love for the sport never wavered. Though he stepped away from playing cricket at a higher level, he remained deeply inspired by the legends of the game.

Rohan's journey commenced with the acquisition of a single piece of memorabilia from one of his favorite players, which sparked the creation of what would eventually become the world's largest cricket museum.

Fueled by an insatiable desire to collect rare artifacts, he embarked on an unwavering quest that led him across continents. As a result, Blades of Glory now proudly showcases an astounding collection of over 75,000 memorabilia and artifacts, with the collection continuously expanding. Blades of Glory embodies Rohan's vision to honor the cricketing legacy by curating an unparalleled collection of cricket memorabilia, serving as a timeless source of inspiration for future generations. In India, cricket transcends being merely a game; it is a festival, a celebration, and a religion. Blades of Glory aims to inspire and encourage upcoming generations to carry forward the spirit and heritage of cricket, forging a deep connection with the sport's rich history. The story behind the creation of Blades of Glory is remarkable in itself. Rohan Pate, a cricketer, devoted follower of the game, and above all, a humble individual, dedicated over 18 months to transform his dream museum into a reality.

Here is the firsthand account of Rohan's journey in his own words:"To be honest, I had never imagined that I would one day establish a cricket museum. The idea had never crossed my mind until two years ago. It all changed after a particular encounter. I had the privilege of meeting Sachin Tendulkar during the 2010 Indian Premier League, where I received a signed bat from him. Until then, I had been collecting autographs, mostly in a diary. During that time, we were in the process of signing Sachin as our brand ambassador for Amit Enterprises Housing Limited.

I visited Sachin's manager's office, where he had bats signed by many top-notch cricketers.That's when the idea of a museum first struck me. I thought to myself, 'What am I doing collecting autographs in a diary? I should aim for something much grander and more exclusive.' And so, the journey began. I gathered autographs of numerous players on bats during the 2011 IPL. Then, the concept of collecting autographs from the World Cup-winning teams came to mind.

I traveled to Sri Lanka during their series against Australia and obtained autographs from almost all the members of their 1996 World Cup-winning team on a bat. The victorious Pakistani team of 1992 was also on my radar. I went to Dubai during their series against England for that purpose, and Ijaz Ahmed, the former Pakistan batsman, provided valuable assistance in finding and securing the autographs of the Pakistani players. Undoubtedly, Australia was the ultimate target, given their four World Cup victories. During India's recent tour of Australia, I spent a fortnight there and managed to collect 47 autographs. It was quite an experience, although logistical challenges were abundant in a vast nation like Australia, especially when tracing former cricketers was no easy task.

On one occasion, I discovered that Simon O'Donnell, Australia's most economical bowler in the 1987 World Cup, was at his farm house, roughly 300 km away from Sydney. I took a cab, traveled to that place, obtained the autograph, and returned the same day.