30 years back. 30 long years. I wasn’t even born at that time. When I knew what cricket means, he was the first name I knew. There is no looking back since then.
The kid in me watched him play that straight drive and fell in love. The youngster in me watched him smash legends and had happy tears. The teen in me watched him break and create millions of record and made a note of everything. I jumped in happiness whenever he scored. I cried when he retired. I still watch his play and nobody knows the emotions I go through while watching them.
I started writing because of Sachin. I started watching the game because of Sachin. There is no life without him. He certainly is the God I know.
I’m not very good at words when it comes to penning about Sachin and how I feel about him. Sach is life. Sach is beyond everything. Sach is God.
Today, I saw a trend on “what if Sachin wasn’t there” on Twitter. I couldn’t think how my life would have changed. I have no answer because for me, for most us there is no cricket without Sachin. When I talk about most of us, it includes a whole generation that sat before the Television, bunked the classes, ran to hear commentary, offered poojas, prayed to God for a cricket match. We wouldn’t have done that all. That whole generation produced some of the cricketing legends who play the game today.
The records, scores and everything lie. Emotions don’t. Unfortunately, my grandchildren wouldn’t understand why Sachin was more of emotions, the feeling rather than just another cricketer who broke records. He was more than that. When my grandchildren watch cricket, they would never understand what it feels like watching Sachin Tendulkar bat. They wouldn’t understand the song that his bat used to sing when it kisses the ball. They wouldn’t understand why I went crazy for him. They wouldn’t know.
May be in thirty years, there would be T5 cricket World Cup, and my grandchild would hail some other batter as the God of that format. At that time, I’m sure, the old me would smile thinking about Sachin and how cricket used to be those days, simple, happy and tough.
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Living with the memories is beautiful. Sachin has given me so much to remember and stay happy about than any other player in the world. Those were not just games but life lessons. There were so many and I’m proud that I was one of the voices that went, “Saaachinnn Saaachinnn whenever he took the field”. Ah, writing this still gives me goosebumps. Excites me. These memories stayed with me, cured a part of me and made me the person who I’m today. I owe everything to Sachin. Sachin Tendulkar.
Thank you for everything, Sachin. There is no life without you. Sach is beyond everything. Sach is God.
