Former cricketer Vinod Kambli started his political innings on Thursday, filing his nomination for the October 13 Maharashtra Assembly polls from suburban Vikhroli.

Kambli, a Lok Bharati candidate, travelled in a local train from Sion to Vikhroli and filled his nomination with his supporters.

The left-handed batsman, appealed to voters to vote for him as a politician and not as a cricketer. "I want to take cricket and politics separately and work for the betterment of the people," he said.

Asked if his childhood friend and international cricketer Sachin Tendulkar would campaign for him, he answered in the negative. "Sachin is busy with cricket, but his wishes are always with me," he added.

Recently on a reality TV show, Kambli had confessed that he did not get help from Sachin during his bad times in cricket. "Sachin could have helped me, but didn't," he had said.