When I woke up on Thursday, the 10th of October, my Facebook newsfeed, my net browser and all my Snapchats had one common message: “God is retiring”. For most people, this statement would either have some sort of religious significance or mean absolutely nothing. However if you’re Indian, a cricket fan, or both, that isn’t the case. In this case, “God” ending his career refers to Sachin Tendulkar and his retirement from test cricket a month from now, bringing an end to a storied, prolific, twenty four year career.
To give a little more background to those of you who have no idea who Sachin Tendulkar is and what this occasion means to the cricket world, there is no expression more apt than the one prevalent across India: “Cricket is my religion and Sachin is my God”. He’s the greatest batsman of this generation for sure, and definitely one of the best of all time. He has hit the most runs in Test cricket (15, 837) and the most runs in One Day International Cricket too (18, 426). India’s master blaster has hit the most centuries in both formats of the game, and has also played the most Tests and ODIs of any cricketer in history. For the better part of twenty-four years, Sachin Tendulkar has been the lifeline of cricket in India, featuring in a number of our biggest wins over the years. In the process he has become a larger-than-life persona despite his 5’5 stature. It's impossible to visit a town, or even a village in India that doesn’t feature billboards starring his instantly recognizable face. There won’t be more than a string of five advertisements on India TV without Tendulkar making an appearance. Indian cricket is inconceivable without Sachin.
Now of course, this retirement does come with its own degree of controversy. Was it too late? Did Sachin stretch out his playing career longer than necessary? Many, including cricket columnist Mukul Kesavan, feel that Sachin playing for longer than necessary (his last two years in test cricket have yielded one century and he has an average of 28 for the period) only served to prevent the growth and opportunities of younger players, like Ajinkya Rahane. Others feel that by the end, Tendulkar was playing simply for the records. Now, I have my own opinions on this, and I’m sure many of you do too, but I’d rather not focus on that here. Instead, I want to simply look at the career and impact of a special individual. This career can be measured in statistics, yes- and those are some of the most basic listed above, from the long list of records the Little Master holds. Yet I’m one who believes that his legend goes beyond statistics, beyond the runs he accumulated, and beyond the victories he contributed to.
In order to look at how Sachin Tendulkar affects the lives of so many simply watch one of his matches. All you need to do is listen to the roar of the crowd when he walks out; be it when the second wicket falls in a Test Match or when he walks out to open in ODIs. All you need to do is observe as he takes guard. And then, once he begins to play shots; that classic straight drive where the ball races between the bowler and the stumps, or that trademark flick off his pads, all you need to do is watch the perfect example of art in progress. More than any of this though, I, and a majority of the 1.2 billion Indians in the world have sat and watched this man while he’s at the crease, and have lost ourselves in his mastery. While Sachin bats, we forget about our problems, we forget about the issues in our own lives, and for the overs he plays, all that matters is Sachin and India. There is another saying: “Commit all your sins while Sachin bats, for even God is watching.” If God is a cricket lover, I assure you that one is true.
There was an article in Time Magazine a few years ago. It listed various historical events that had not taken place when Sachin debuted- for instance, the Berlin Wall was still up, and Diego Maradona was still captain of Argentina. And yes, Sachin’s longevity is a big reason of why he is celebrated. As are all the runs he scored, all the centuries he amassed and all the wins he played a starring role in scripting. Yet more than that, it is the effect he had on the hearts of 1.2 billion people. Thus, in a way, it is fitting to conclude as the Time article does: “We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will.”
- Angad Bagai, Cricket Columnist
To give a little more background to those of you who have no idea who Sachin Tendulkar is and what this occasion means to the cricket world, there is no expression more apt than the one prevalent across India: “Cricket is my religion and Sachin is my God”. He’s the greatest batsman of this generation for sure, and definitely one of the best of all time. He has hit the most runs in Test cricket (15, 837) and the most runs in One Day International Cricket too (18, 426). India’s master blaster has hit the most centuries in both formats of the game, and has also played the most Tests and ODIs of any cricketer in history. For the better part of twenty-four years, Sachin Tendulkar has been the lifeline of cricket in India, featuring in a number of our biggest wins over the years. In the process he has become a larger-than-life persona despite his 5’5 stature. It's impossible to visit a town, or even a village in India that doesn’t feature billboards starring his instantly recognizable face. There won’t be more than a string of five advertisements on India TV without Tendulkar making an appearance. Indian cricket is inconceivable without Sachin.
Now of course, this retirement does come with its own degree of controversy. Was it too late? Did Sachin stretch out his playing career longer than necessary? Many, including cricket columnist Mukul Kesavan, feel that Sachin playing for longer than necessary (his last two years in test cricket have yielded one century and he has an average of 28 for the period) only served to prevent the growth and opportunities of younger players, like Ajinkya Rahane. Others feel that by the end, Tendulkar was playing simply for the records. Now, I have my own opinions on this, and I’m sure many of you do too, but I’d rather not focus on that here. Instead, I want to simply look at the career and impact of a special individual. This career can be measured in statistics, yes- and those are some of the most basic listed above, from the long list of records the Little Master holds. Yet I’m one who believes that his legend goes beyond statistics, beyond the runs he accumulated, and beyond the victories he contributed to.
In order to look at how Sachin Tendulkar affects the lives of so many simply watch one of his matches. All you need to do is listen to the roar of the crowd when he walks out; be it when the second wicket falls in a Test Match or when he walks out to open in ODIs. All you need to do is observe as he takes guard. And then, once he begins to play shots; that classic straight drive where the ball races between the bowler and the stumps, or that trademark flick off his pads, all you need to do is watch the perfect example of art in progress. More than any of this though, I, and a majority of the 1.2 billion Indians in the world have sat and watched this man while he’s at the crease, and have lost ourselves in his mastery. While Sachin bats, we forget about our problems, we forget about the issues in our own lives, and for the overs he plays, all that matters is Sachin and India. There is another saying: “Commit all your sins while Sachin bats, for even God is watching.” If God is a cricket lover, I assure you that one is true.
There was an article in Time Magazine a few years ago. It listed various historical events that had not taken place when Sachin debuted- for instance, the Berlin Wall was still up, and Diego Maradona was still captain of Argentina. And yes, Sachin’s longevity is a big reason of why he is celebrated. As are all the runs he scored, all the centuries he amassed and all the wins he played a starring role in scripting. Yet more than that, it is the effect he had on the hearts of 1.2 billion people. Thus, in a way, it is fitting to conclude as the Time article does: “We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will.”
- Angad Bagai, Cricket Columnist