A Tribute To Sachin

I had reserved my 100th post to dedicate it to Sachin Tendulkar on his 100th centuries in International Cricket. But I could never start on it. Being a pucca Sachin fan, the odds are huge that once I start writing, my own admiration for him would lead to exaggeration, yet I wanted my tribute to be as impartial as possible, to try understand the man who changed the game of Cricket forever and the profound impact he had on the psyche of an entire generation of Indians. However, as Sachin bids adieu to Cricket I find no reason to refrain myself from completing it even if it means going overboard with every superlative I can recall. What is it about Sachin that an entire nation turn him into god of Cricket ? Of course, it is his almost supernatural skill with the bat and the game of Cricket but at least for me it is more than just Cricket.

What is it that makes millions of people shedding tears as their favorite sportsperson retires, the majority of whom were not in the stadium or on social media but sitting glued to their television screens. These are also the people who have currently being bludgeoned by skyrocketing prices of everything from fuel to onions and nearly every essential commodity. Perhaps it is the fact that Sachin has been able to connect to the average Indian in a manner no else has in last half century. From they time he first walked into the ground in Karachi on 15th November 1989 to the last time he walked back to pavilion of Wankhede Stadium Mumbai on 16th November 2013, there has hardly been a change in his gait reflecting arrogance or nervousness. Fame and controversy go hand in hand, it is impossible to find another person who has attained even half the popularity Sachin has and has still remained impervious to controversy. Numerous scandals may have shaken the cricketing world to its core, Sachin stands firmly holding his ground.

Sachin's records may tower the world of cricket, his fame should be measured in amplitude. Coming made him and almost nothing about what he became. There was something about his speech that suggested that despite being one of the richest sportsperson, in his heart he remained a quintessential member of the Indian middle class.

from a middle-class family, Sachin rose to become one of the richest sportsperson in the world but his intensely emotional farewell speech captured the very essence of Indian middle class. Reading off a single piece of paper, Sachin first thanked his father and mother, uncle and aunt in whose place he used to stay during training. This followed by gratitude for his siblings, especially Ajit, and almost in a chronological order, he thanked everyone who mattered in his life, including the fans. In an occasion when the cricket world was looking at felicitating him and celebrating his genius, Sachin's speech was all about others who

Further, at a time when regionalism, parochialism and shifting loyalties are on the rise in India, Sachin's devotion towards India and the Indian cricket team is unparalleled. No wonder, he is the only youth icon who has a pan-Indian appeal in the widest sense. Because of all these factors Sachin connects to people from all strata and groups.  If people forget their own miseries to cheer for Sachin, it is because they are able to see their own reflection in him, achieving what they cannot even dream to. Sachin Tendulkar is undoubtedly the best batsman ever,  he is also the icon that connects people of India together, even if for a very brief period. #ThanYouSachin.