This article was last updated on May 25, 2022
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To be honest with you, I have not really gathered my thoughts yet. Either my brain has refused to arrange them in a logical order or my heart said, “chuck brain for some time and stay emotional”. Well, I am not sure how good this article would be. But I have gone ahead still; believing that the fondness for the man so unbelievable would help me sail through this piece.
Extended childhood is over
I was born in 1987. So, by normal standards of biology and psychology, my childhood is over a long ago. What Sachin did though that he granted me and billions like me to stretch that childhood. Not that we were allowed to carry that everywhere we went. But we were surely excused when he was on the cricket field; batting, bowling or fielding. Now, we can no longer hide ourselves behind that Sachin excuse. With him retiring, that extended childhood is over and done with.
Men don’t cry, well they do
The general consensus is that men don’t cry. At least, they are not expected to. Well, the one who said that was either too partial or tough willed. But as soon as that last West Indies wicket fell, as the feeling of we would not get to see Sachin Tendulkar on the cricket field struck, that consensus became more ideal than real. There were thousands in the stadium and billions across, who quite literally grew with Sachin,wept with the man. The heart was heavy and the eyes were moist. And for the one who said that men don’t cry, well, they did.
Distance education
While it is debatable, sport or in this case cricket is often looked at as an education. If that’s true, then Sachin Tendulkar definitely served as a top-notch educational institution. From 1989 to now, it adjusted as per the needs and demands but without compromising on dignity and integrity. Before the advent of International T20s, it offered full-time courses via Test and ODI cricket. With his retirement from ODIs in 2012, the courses were more part-time than before. However with him retiring for once and for all, the institution would only offer distance learning.
We will still get to watch him. We have YouTube for that. But then we won’t get to feel the anxiety that we quite willingly went through so many times. The books may come up discussing him and we would relive whatever he has done on the cricket field. However, they may not make a same ring with the excitement of seeing him bat live and then read the papers on the next day. He was one of the greatest batsmen to have ever played this game. But more than that, he was India’s hero. He was a perfect illustration of what a man from middle class family can achieve without giving up the humility. And hence, he, very rightfully will remain India’s favourite son.
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