SACHIN - From my eyes

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.