Sachin Tendulkar – An era defined in person

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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“Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth.”

 This line had been once spoken by the great Albert Einstein referring to Mahatma Gandhi and in the current scenario, fits perfectly on the greatest among the greatest, Sachin Tendulkar.

Come to think of it. 24 years. We the new-borns of that time have seen the world change around us. 

We were still very much needed to be spoon fed our cereal when Sachin scored a match saving hundred against England in alien conditions. We learnt to walk, talk and Sachin was there scoring hundreds against Australia in Australia, earning himself the respect of Lilee, Hughes and McDermott. We started attending School and Sachin won a match for India with his bowling against South Africa, establishing himself as an all-rounder. We started studying Contemporary India, Civics, Geography, Physics, Chemistry and what not and Sachin was there with a broken heart at the end of the 2003 World Cup final. The “Player of the Tournament” award didn’t’ matter much to him. 

We finished school and Sachin was there only beginning to revel in his second wind. We were undergoing graduation, trying to mug up the chapters when a semester neared every time and there was Sachin, hitting the first ever double hundred in a one-day international. And then there he was, on the shoulders of fellow and much more junior Indian colleagues at the end of the 2011 World Cup, taking a victory lap around the Wankhede Stadium after having had a childhood dream come true. 

By now some of us have jobs at hand, some are struggling but hopefully not for long. Some of us are undergoing post-graduation, some of us are currently in the various Armed Forces academies, learning to defend our borders and some of us are busy almost 24/7 in an attempt to establish our country’s name in the field of space research. While still others are pursuing their careers in various sports and earned a name for themselves and brought more pride to the country. The likes of Virat Kohli, Vijender Singh, Deepika Kumari, Saina Nehwal and many more. Almost all of us have had a heartbreak or two as well. And there is Sachin, still walking out on to the cricket field with a childlike enthusiasm, only this time to script his own swan song.

Tendulkar remained as a constant through 24 years of change

Amidst all these changes in our lives, the one name that has always been constant among us has been the name of Sachin Tendulkar.

In ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, Bruce Wayne tells Detective John Blake that ‘Batman’, is actually a symbol. Sachin Tendulkar to me has risen well above the tag of being a sporting Icon. He now has become a symbol. A symbol of dedication. A symbol of persistence. That no matter what you do, no matter what field you choose, you ought to give your absolute 100% and there is no compromise for that. That the journey you choose to embark up on, must not have any shortcuts. 

On a lighter note, Sachin often proved to be a great escape for me personally from my father’s scolding whenever I messed things up in academics. All was forgotten and forgiven when the great man would wield his bat and radiate his magic on the cricket field. 

The magician now has packed his stuff once and for all. The wand will go into a secure case. The wand with which he wielded innumerable tricks throughout his career. The hat will be taken off and hung on a hook on the wall. The hat from which he kept pulling out one rabbit after another for 24 years. The overcoat will be folded properly and put into his cupboard. The overcoat from which he often unveiled the impossible of trump cards which the people watching sat up and took notice of and heaped their admiration and praise on him. Alas, the show has finally come to an end! The heart wishes for him to contrive another trick to last this show for eternity. But then, all good things must come to an end as well.

Adios Sachin! It was an experience that can’t be measured against any amount of material wealth in the world. His identity goes far beyond the 22 yards of the pitch and his legacy will hopefully go on for eternity. Thank you for being there, Sachin. Thank you for inculcating the sense of hope in all of us. 

Thank you.

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Satwik Roy’s love for sumptuous food got the better of his dreams of pursuing a career as a Cricketer, Footballer, Badminton player and Formula 1 racer! He however harbors the dream of watching an Ashes Test at MCG and Lord’s, a Manchester United vs Chelsea clash at Old Trafford and a Formula 1 race at Monza. He now writes columns for Sportskeeda.