November 16, 2013, marked the end of an era in cricket. Sachin Tendulkar, the name that echoed in every home, in every alleyway of India, someone who was adored by the entire nation, bid adieu to the game. As I reflect on his career, I can’t help but think of how much of an impact he had on my own as a budding cricketer.
For many Indians, Sachin was more than just a player donning the Indian jersey. He was a phenomenon. Growing up, I may not have witnessed his entire career live, but the echoes of his greatness were inescapable. From coaches telling us to learn to ‘drive like Sachin’ to watching his videos after practice. I would put in hours watching his batting highlights, analysing every straight drive, flick and cover drive, hoping to replicate at least a fraction of his mastery. To young cricketers, Sachin’s videos became a batting textbook. With a still head and precise footwork, it was a template for the young.
How can you not be in awe of 100 international centuries, over 34,000 runs and countless moments of magic under pressure? Beyond the statistics, Sachin represented the hopes of a billion Indians, from humble beginnings to the top of the pedestal. Many dream, some achieve, but only Sachin remains.
I vividly remember the day my teammates and I went to watch his biopic, Sachin: A Billion Dreams. As the movie played on, the enormity of his impact unfolded. By the end, the five or six of us, who pretended to be so tough on the field, couldn’t help but tear up at his Test retirement speech that played at the end of the movie. We all walked out, silent, overwhelmed and feeling more courageous than ever. Not a word was spoken between us, but we all knew exactly how the other was feeling.
I may have forgotten the finer details of the biopic, but I remember the message. More than anything, I remember the song ‘Sachin…Sachin’, a song that became my personal anthem during practice sessions. The lyrics are still etched in my mind.
“Raat chahe ho ghaneri,
Hai ujaala tere haathon mein.
Ho adhoora khwaab toh phir,
Neend kaise aaye raaton mein?
Abhi aadhi kheli tune baazi,
Abhi chotein dil ki taazi taazi.
Abhi dil ko hai karna raazi,
Tere honslon ne paa leni hai manzilein.”
Sachin’s farewell speech at Wankhede Stadium still gives me goosebumps when I think about it. As he took a final lap of his home ground, the chants of “Sachin, Sachin” echoing around the stadium like a heartbeat – the heartbeat of Indian cricket.
For my generation, he will always be the cricketer who turned dreams into reality, the hero who taught us nothing is impossible, and the legend who made us believe dreams do really come true.