What can I say that hasn’t been said before? Over the years, a lot has been said in praise about Sachin Tendulkar and it continues till date – 20 years since he burst into the international limelight. But today I write about Sachin Tendulkar as my guru and not as the cricketer we all love.
How many of us have done something that will give us a sense of pride to last a lifetime? And how many of us did something noteworthy when we were 16? And have any of us been at the top for 20 continuous years without a single blemish?
How many of us have done something that will give us a sense of pride to last a lifetime? And how many of us did something noteworthy when we were 16? And have any of us been at the top for 20 continuous years without a single blemish?
Since 1989, I have spent each of Sachin’s and my birthdays and more, thinking about how the maestro has reached such great heights at such a young age and still kept his feet planted firmly on the ground. Single-minded devotion, discipline, hard work, passion and equanimity are some of the lessons to learn from Sachin’s life. He has made me want to achieve a lot in life and be like him in everything I do. With reams of accomplishments that he has already attained, I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few years from now, ‘Sachin’ becomes an adjective!
There have been innumerable instances where I have drawn inspiration from Sachin’s on-field and off-field demeanour. Whether I have been low for not doing well in my academics or any other sphere in life or when I went out to play for my team during my gully cricket days, there was always one man who helped me get up on my own. If I felt like running away from a situation, I would ask myself: would Sachin have succeeded if he had said he didn’t want to face the fastest bowlers of his time – Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Malcolm Marshall and the likes?
I believed as a ten-year-old that I could beat the opposition in cricket despite they being twice my size or age. I knew that my friends banked on me to play well and ensure a team victory – similar to what India hoped of Sachin. Or so I’d like to believe! But that belief was something that makes me the person I am today. I attribute a large portion of the confidence I carry to Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar!
I'm sure this is the effect Sachin has on many Indians across the country. Unknowingly he influences us to be stronger and emerge successful from every trial that we face. For twenty years, this stocky dynamo has had an effect on a billion – if this is not power, what is?
I have had the privilege of watching Sachin play in Mumbai’s stadia, and the aura of the man is something beyond belief. The reactions of the crowd when he enters the ground or even merely touches the ball can be understood only by being part of it. And I don’t need to tell you about the frenzy when he is batting majestically!
Thinking back over the last twenty years, cricket and Sachin have helped me grow as an individual, become mature and made me live by the belief that I will be able to meet any challenge that life throws at me.
Cricket, for me, has been a beautiful metaphor for life, and Sachin my inspiration!
1 comment:
Really well-written Arvind!! It actually exhorts you to compare yourself with the maestro! And without any doubt, he has and will always inspire and teach us in his own unparalleled ways.
I am sure it will strike a chord with many of our fellow Indians, and many more people across the globe as well who share our love, respect and awe for the Litle Master. A demigod of the cricketing world, Sachin 10dulkar [we obviously know he alone is as good as 10 players] is also the epitome of humility, with such a docile persona which has helped him maintain a blot-free career for 20 looooong years! [as old as I am!]
I really pity the ignorant lot though who incessantly vent out flak against Tendlya. I wonder how can they even think of blabbering tripe like — 'Tendulkar plays only for himself, and not for the country', 'Tendulkar is only interested in making records', 'He just plays to add runs to his basket'. Good God! Don't we all know that conceited people can never reach where Sachin stands tall now!
Also, don't we all do things in life for our own vested interests? We study so that we get good marks, we work so that we earn money, we lick our boss' shoes so that we are preferred! What do We do for the country? Common, give him a break, he is a human being just like all of us.
But when I re-think about this, I gleefully forgive such cynics, because when they 'expect' him to do and be something more than normal, they only re-emphasise the fact that he is one of the most revered personalities! Let us leave the barking to the dogs!
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