10 reasons why worshipping Sachin Tendulkar is justified

Yes, I might be partial towards Him, being from the same school and cricket ground, there is some part of me which feels special to have shared this bit with Him. I am not His fan. I am not His follower. I am His worshipper. And it is justified. Here are 10 reasons why.

1.    “Mein Khelega”

“Main Khelega”, squeaked a little boy on debut series who was bleeding from his nose after getting hit by a fiery bowler. 24 years back, the little boy was Tendulkar and the fiery bowler was Waqar Younis who was on his debut series, too.  This moment was an announcement to the world that age and size are just on paper. Sachin Tendulkar was not going to be afraid of any bowler in the whole world. And what followed is 50,000+ runs in world cricket.

2.    Generations do not matter

Some 15 years back in my village in the near Maharashtra-MP border, my sixty something grandmother exclaimed, “Chendulkar aala”. That memory is still crystal clear in my mind. I realized she had mixed the two words, Chendu (which is ball in Marathi) and Tendulkar. I asked her why she used this word to which she innocently replied, “Because he plays with the ball”. Such was the power of a man whose greatness reached in the villages where electricity was scanty.

3.    Country comes first

In midst of World cup ‘99, Sachin’s father demised. Sachin Tendulkar hit a magnificent century post returning back after performing last rites on his father. Hitting a century in that mind-set really deserves a salute. In spite of his personal loss, he performed with all his might showing his love for his country. As he said after finally winning the 2011 World cup, “This is the reason I started playing cricket; to do something for the country.” Country was, is and always will come first for him.

4.    A Lesson for Life

During my formative years in school, my mother gave me a Guru mantra, “Whenever someone criticizes you, always prove yourself with the final results and do not react at the instant”. To make sure I understood such a deep thought, my mother used analogy of Sachin Tendulkar and how he handled any critical reviews. She said, “Let the bat do the talking”. This has been a guiding principle for me throughout my life and it has helped tremendously in handling difficult situations.

5.     Crowd cheer the fall of 2nd wicket

I have never seen any wicket being cheered as much as the 2nd Indian wicket. Fall of that wicket meant only one thing for years, arrival of Sachin Tendulkar in the stadium. That is why it is said, No. 3 in Indian batting line-up is the most difficult spot to bat on and undoubtedly only one man “The WALL” could have sustained it. 1 billion people wanting a batsman to get out, you feel for that player. It is not a piece of cake to walk in the ground with such a huge anticipation from the crowd every time. And, Sachin has been bearing this on his shoulders for many years.

6.    The best student of the game

A person who has written a record book himself. A person who probably has achieved all in cricket. You name it and Sachin has achieved it. And every time, some asks his secret for success he is quick enough to say that he is still learning from his coach and his teammates. 24 years and still learning! That makes him what he is! The best student of cricket.

7.    Never forgot grass-roots

Be the next Ranji game or an international game down – under, Sachin always paid respects to his guru, Dronacharya Achrekar before leaving. It is a known fact that Sachin paid late night visits to temples in Mumbai. Once, during an ad shoot he was being portrayed to be greater than the game. He was too humble to do an advertisement like this. The ad later was changed on Sachin’s request. He kept cricket above all in the acting world, too.

8.    Not a leader but the Nerve Centre

Sachin Tendulkar was not seen as a great captain. It is because he was always the nerve centre of the team. During the 90s, he showed that matches can be won single-handedly. No match was over until he was on the field. Later in 2000s, he made each youngster comfortable in the dressing room. During the crisis of 2007, declining a request of captaincy, it was Sachin who suggested MS Dhoni’s name for the future captain. And rest they say is history.

9.    10 players play for 10dulkar

Sachin had once mentioned that winning a world cup was his childhood dream. Later, the youngsters of the team made sure he achieved it. Towards the end of his career, every big tournament win was dedicated to him and ended in similar fashion by teammates lifting him in the victory lap. Every single member of the team mentioned they won it for him. This, itself, is a testimony for his greatness and his position in Indian cricket.

10. Retirement from watching cricket

The day he announced his retirement, there would many who literally had tears in their eyes. A cold shiver would have been felt by millions. Even the thought of not able to see him in live action is intolerable. Many vowed after Sachin’s retirement, they would stop watching cricket. Throughout his career, he faced injuries right from his back to tennis elbow, but there was always a belief among all that he would bounce back and hit more centuries. But this time, there would be no looking back.

Giving more than 100 reasons to justify that Sachin Tendulkar should be worshipped is an easier job. Picking just the 10 is a tough one. I hope I have made my point.

Article Published: Sportskeeda: 10 reasons why worshipping Sachin Tendulkar is justified