the boy who ruled every heart...

 Ever since I was a teenager I have dreaded the very thought of how my life would be once the little master hangs up his boots. And not surprisingly this has been the sentiment of the entire nation as well for years now. Though over last year or so he has gradually called it quits in various formats be it ODIs, IPL or CLT20 but he was still active in the topmost format and that gave the entire nation a cushion and satisfaction that we can still see our hero on the field at least in this format. But recently with his announcement of retirement from all forms of cricket the mood has started to become somber all around. Even for those who were still weighing him by the no. of runs he scores and were critical about his not so glorious form of late.

Some even termed the hoopla around his farewell series over the last few weeks as outrageous, extravagant and demotivating for other sportsman. But then did he ever ask for such a farewell himself? Or for that matter in the last 24 years did he ever asked for anything from us though vica versa isn't true rather we have been mostly very inconsiderate with regards to our expectations from him. It has been like a one way traffic which he continued obliging dutifully without a sign of grimace and with full dedication as if he has been summoned by the almighty himself to do so. So with regards to the farewell, all that has happened and will continue to happen over the next few weeks, is the nation's way of thanking him for the comfort he has provided to millions for over 2 decades, all too less but certainly very well deserved. And this was very aptly summed up by Darren Sammy too who signed off saying that “India has taught us how to treat our heroes”.

So what makes him so special and so loved all across the globe? Various people will have different opinion on this but I personally feel an honest answer to this is way beyond the numbers and statistics associated with him. This seems quite ironical to myself, as not so long back I used to argue on his superiority with many of my friends and colleagues based on the innumerable batting feats he has achieved but now I feel I was a fool to do so. This guy is way beyond the nos. And I even pity those who compare him with various other greats of the game be it Bradman, be it Lara, be it Ponting, be it Dravid or be it any other batting great. After all you can’t compare a lamp with the Sun, despite the fact that both do the same job. The impact that he has had over all of us for years is way beyond these nos., so it’s criminal to weigh him by any of these statistics. He has given us the belief, the hope and sense of pride about ourselves in the most testing times. He has allowed us to sleep with a smile just by his sheer brilliance and commitment on what he did on field. In the hindsight, what matters is not only his cricketing prowess but the way he conducted himself off the field. Despite an unprecedented success, he has remained so humble, so grounded and so polite that it’s hard to even imagine a semblance of such a balance in our lives. May be that’s the reason he is not only every cricket lovers favorite but also every mothers favorite child too. Not sure if the likes of Kohlis and Sharmas can capture our hearts in the same fashion just by the sheer weight of the runs they score.

Personally, he has been my role model ever since I was a teenager though many a times I asked myself can a cricketer also be a role model for someone who is not a professional cricketer himself. So is it more of an impulsive choice or a rather fashionable one? But soon I correlated it with what my parents have been preaching me all my life, to be a good human being, to be humble and polite in all situations, to remain focussed and dedicated in whatever I do, to respect every individual irrespective of his/her socio-economic status. Though I always found all this to be very bookish and boring to actually pay any serious credence to but thankfully indeed, my Hero has all these qualities in him, so who better than him to have as a role model for life. It’s a privilege, honor and such a joy for life to have his highness as my role model.

He has been so close to our hearts all these years that the feeling of his retirement is similar to that of someone very close leaving us forever. He has been like that integral family member for the entire nation whose successes and failures have made us happy or sad instinctively. We have cared and prayed for him in the true earnest as we do for our near and dear ones. Such has been this bond and will always continue to be so, way beyond the nos and runs associated with his name. Howsoever, we thank you Sachin it won't be enough but these beautiful memories will remain for ever. We can proudly say that we belong to the era of the great Sir Sachin Tendulkar. You truly defined the word HERO for our generation, no wonder you will be a part of my son’s bedtime stories for years and years to come.

Thanks much for the bouquet of beautiful memories and being an inspiration and role model for the rest of my life! You will be missed.

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kin…