SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR - It is not just a name. Yes, not just a name. 21 letters, 3 words & 23
years of glory within, millions of hopes. Yes, not just a name.
Talking about Sachin Tendulkar, well he has never
been just a player for me. An idol, An inspiration, A hero, A miracle, A
legend, words will fail if I will start acknowledging him. I actually don't remember the phase when I
started to like Sachin Tendulkar. But I still do remember when I was about 9 or 10 years old, playing with other kids of neighbors
and heard one sentence from uncle saying: " Abhi Sachin hai na
crease pe ?! Koi tension nahi, jeet jayenge." This memory has stuck in my
mind since my childhood. Even I didn't knew at that time that I'm a die hard Sachin Fan in the making.
I believe that world of cricket had foreseen his
greatness when a teen with curly hair & squeaky voice made his debut with most vicious on drive ever. There was like an
awakening time for India when Sachin entered in world of cricket. Yes, time of
90's, time for India to hit back in every aspect, on a cricket pitch too. Like
a barrier was about to be broken. It happened, India replied, on a cricket
pitch too, so as Sachin Tendulkar. Finally, what we got ? A player who went
after impossible, he went & reached the heights where no man had gone
before. Failure was not an option for Sachin. Tendulkar was a prodigy who was
always hungry for victory, who always eyed it.
There was something in Tendulkar that made people
go crazy for him. Carrying heavy bat with billions of hopes, Tendulkar
dominated the game in his own way. He entertained people, and when he started
to entertained the people, they forgot their troubles, they jumped in a joy like
they never jumped before. People prayed for him, bunked schools & colleges,
skipped offices & the entire youth, entire generation saw a dream to become
a cricketer, to become SACHIN TENDULKAR. It was amazing to see that even I
caught myself being happy on his only one straight drive, one uppercut or
one cover drive. Then there came a time when there was a belief that whenever
Sachin walks out to bat, people switch on their TV sets & switch off their
lives. While The Master Blaster was at the crease, there was always a hope.
Time passed, records were being broken and new
records were being made. Desert storm happened. We lost to Sachin - Aussie
skipper said once. With Sachin, Team India started doing something which was
rare, they started winning abroad. Sachin became the highest run scorer. He
became the first man to score a double century in ODI cricket history. He made
100 hundreds. People were going crazy, they made Tendulkar their god. Many of
you know that I also feel the same: "Cricket is my religion & Tendulkar
is my god !" But note that it was not just his cricket skills, talent or
records that made him great. It was his humility & down to earth nature too
that made him god of millions.
Through the years, Sachin made every impossible
thing possible. He broke the records in the world of advertising too. He became
cricket's first millionaire but he didn't let affect his game though. He
remained grounded. As I said earlier, he always stayed humble & down to
earth.
Coming back to me, as I said, Tendulkar has
always been my inspiration at first place. I've cheered for him, I've bunked my
school, college & tuitions for him, I've cried for his many marvelous
innings, I've distributed sweets & chocolates when he had scored centuries.
I've praised him, worshiped him. I've lived him. Many people blame that I can't
see anyone except Tendulkar. They call me blind Tendulkar maniac. But then its
their personal opinion. I don't give them any explanation that I'm a huge fan
of Rahul Dravid, Chris Gayle & Dale Steyn too. Actually I am fan of each
& every cricketer because I am cricket fanatic in the end. And note that, because
cricket has produced My Sachin Tendulkar, I'll never stop watching cricket when
Tendulkar will leave the game. It will be unfair to Tendulkar too.
Now after all those 23 years of glory, ages after
an enthusiastic boy convinced his skipper to let him open the innings, India is among the top cricket sides in the world while that teen with curly hair
& squeaky voice has become a legend. And after all these 23 years, my hero
is struggling. Yes, even Tendulkar has said that he has not much cricket left
in him. Only a Sachin fan knows how much it is painful to hear "Bowled
him" again & again. But let me clear that some lame dismissals &
fake criticism will never make any difference. It is acceptable fact that
Tendulkar is in his last stage of his career. But let me not put a pressure on
him. Let me not criticize him, let me not ask him to make me happy because he
has been busy in making the whole country happy since last 23 years. Let me
just support my hero selflessly, let me just cheer for him, let me just feel
the Goosebumps when he walks in to bat, let me just enjoy his game while he is
here. Because when he will leave, there will be a deep void.
Because even after all the 23 years
From
Tendlya to The Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar
After all the 34000 international
runs
After all the hundred hundreds
After all the Kapil Devs to Cheteshwar
Pujaras,
Still, when he goes out to bat, India holds its
breath.
