Sachin Paaji is special. Always will be. The greatest batsman to have played the game. But that’s not what defines him. He is a wonderful human being, and that’s what I will always say is his first quality. I fondly remember Sachin Paaji taking me out to dinner when I got my first Test century in Colombo. He had scored a double hundred in the same game and had taken me out to my first Japanese meal. It was an experience. Paaji was a foodie, and with him around, we learnt a lot about Japanese food. He came up to me in the evening and said it was time to celebrate my century, and he would take us, Yuvi, Bhajju pa and me, out to dinner. That’s what Sachin Paaji is all about. He was the perfect team man who always celebrated our success as his own.
However, my most memorable Sachin Paaji story has to be the 2011 World Cup. I was 25 at the time and not in the team for the initial few games. In fact, I was doing everything I could to attract attention, that I was the best option at number six. I would spend maximum time doing fielding practice and was determined to make a case to Gary and Mahi bhai for my inclusion. Playing the World Cup at home was a dream, and playing Australia and Pakistan were two of the biggest occasions for any player playing the sport.
Rohit Bansal on Sachin Tendulkar
And then, in the quarter-final against Australia, I was sitting next to Paaji in the dressing room when he said, ‘Look at this as an opportunity. A World Cup quarter-final with 78 runs left, and you have a chance to win it for the country. It is your day; go win it for India.’
India was 187/5, and it was my turn to make a difference. I have been a Tendulkar fan since childhood and was lost for a second or two. It was Sachin Paaji who was speaking to me. He had waited for six World Cups to win the trophy. And here he was urging me to do it for him and India. With Dhoni out and 75 runs still to get, I could not have asked for a better opportunity to make a mark. All I told him was, ‘Paaji aaj jita ke aayeenge [Will win it for India tonight, elder brother]’.
I made a 28-ball 34 and was unbeaten that night. Of course, these weren’t many runs considering the asking rate towards the close of the innings. But that near-one-hour stint batting with Yuvraj was perhaps the most invigorating one hour for each of us.
Vignesh Shahane on Sachin Tendulkar
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