Sachin Tendulkar’s Impact On My Life And Many Others Like Me. A Throw Back To 1990s.

I have a confession to make.

I do not believe in hero (idol) worship. Gratitude — yes. Regard — absolutely. Beyond that, my belief — two legs ground any other breathing soul on an equal footing with you and me. That borderline between belief and worship is quite clear in my mind. That borderline blurs when it comes to Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

To me and billions like me growing up on him for 25+ years - he is personal. He made us believe in something extraordinary built around an ordinary life.

Before I venture into my personal why, my past snippets at introducing him to uninitiated friends

A musically inclined friend once asked me, “How did you feel when Sachin Tendulkar played cricket?” I thought for a moment and added,

“Have you watched the Freddie Mercury [Queen’s] live aid concert video from 1985?”

His eyes lit up. “Yes, of course,” he added, “the spine tingling moments when 70,000 people sang together in one voice — it was riveting. Freddie personally connected with every soul in the audience. The emotional connect was sublime.”

 I added, “Make that number a billion - huddled around television sets. When Sachin Tendulkar walked into the field to bat, it was –one voice, one feeling, one heartbeat. Desolate roads, prayers aplenty.”

A small gasp was the reaction I remember. Sachin can be described in many ways.

Babe Ruth greatness without his off-field penchants. Pelé’s flair etched with the same number 10. Michael Jordan’s discipline sans the height. Michael Phelps’s talent without the bong blemishes. Roger Federer singular records morphed into a team sport. And many more.

None do full justice. Even his unfathomable cricketing achievements - one google search away.  

Here is a window into my personal why.

Sachin’s simple, recurring act

There is something more than talent and hard work that made moms and even grand moms pray for his success — even if they had least interest in cricket.

Somehow, he imbibed the soul of simple acts that amplified his effect on many of us in sublime ways. When autographs have a way of becoming scribbles as time wore on, Sachin Tendulkar undivided focus through decades made cricket the context and his respect for his audience — divine.

Amrit Mathur, former Indian team manager says it best — “Signing an autograph for him is serious business, done with concentration and undivided focus, with as much care as facing a bowler.”

Sachin’s simple human acts on screen

For the first 22 years, five editions of the World Cup, he put his soul to lifting the cup for India. When victory proved elusive, he felt the pain. Every soul watching him on screen could feel his ache as he walked back.

On the flip side, after each personal milestone, he raised his bat to the heavens to acknowledge his dad. For many others — in his moment of triumph, he made us feel our own personal heroes. I thought of my dad.

My dad opened bowling in his high school. For one tournament, he was late by a whisker for reasons beyond his control. The team started the game without him. My father placed that incident as a peril of team sport. In that team sport, when replacement is a whistle away — Tendulkar shined for 24 years through highs and lows.

Sachin shared what he knew

Sachin is alive when he talks cricket — period. While training kids, he lets out his contrarian secret, found in the annals of the Guardian — “contrary to the manuals, great batting has little to do with the movement of the feet, but is mostly about the quickness of the hands and the stillness of the head. This stillness, he suggests, should be both physical and mental: both about a state of perfect preparedness, and about avoiding commitment to any movement until that movement is inevitable.”

Sachin made me believe

You do not need to be great at a lot of things. He made me believe that a singular talent story can be a great story. A singular focus on one area of excellence with pious follow through — it is possible and it can be fulfilling. And the best news is — it does not need to be hedged by education.

The context of that belief is important. In 1990’s, India was opening up. Engineer, doctor or lawyer were societal accepted middle class norms. I became one. Yet, in my heart, the light still kept burning. My writing here is an outcome of Tendulkar’s influence from afar — in time and in distance.

Sachin made me learn how to celebrate

In the autumn of his career, the miracle that he yearned for since age 10 happened. India lifted the world cup in 2011. At the precipice of pinnacle -his proudest moment- what would he do?

For one, he jumped up and down like a child. His glee was palpable on the TV screens. The generation next cricketers hoisted him on their shoulders during the victory lap. All along expected lines. Then, this picture of him flanked by his children.

He found meaning in celebrating his proudest moment with his children. And then with the man who shares his intense passion for the game. Wish there was a better word than superfan for Sudhir Chaudhary.  On that winning day, Sachin signaled him out from the crowd to join him in the dressing room to lift up the cup and join the team celebrations.

Sachin’s ultimate endearment

The secret to greatness lies not too far from the tree. The question is- do we know where to look?

What Sachin personifies is the concept of family at this best — rooted to the ground, cocooned away from the adulation, nourishing the best seeds and showcasing the essence to the world.

For example, in his heart wrenching farewell speech in 2015, his wife Anjali’s parents found a mention of thanks.

In his step to greatness was a brother whom his mom brought up as her own. I will bet that Sachin will never utter the word step before brother.

Instead, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar will always mention Ajit dada (an attribute with respect for an elder brother) in the same breadth as his father and his coach.

The most beautiful thing- his dada would never use the word sacrifice — to describe anything he has done for his little brother. Ajit’s little brother is still 5 ft 5 in tall. Not an icon, not a hero — an emotion to many of us who lived through the 1990’s and beyond.

In tribute to those who feel an unexplained personal bond to Sachin - even today.

Karthik Rajan.

P.S. His biopic Sachin A Billion Dreams is in a theatre near you. That movie is from Sachin vantage point — his narrative. This blog is from the other side.

While reading this makes you reflect on your own experiences, do share it in the comment.

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