Every year, I’m forced to write the same old cheesy things about Sachin and about how important he is in my life. While the words fail and there are too many memories to pen, the hardest thing is to keep it short as well as not to sound crazy because you know when you love somebody, you are allowed to go overboard, right?
I kept asking a few questions to me for the past few days. Why did I even love him, why is he so important, what makes him special. Why does he make me emotional which no other cricketer could do? So many questions.
I realized cricket isn’t just a game in India and Sachin isn’t any other player. He was our God. A superhero.
I grew up watching different superheroes and Sachin was one of them. When I started watching the game, he was like that superhero who normally destroys antagonists with their brain as well as the techniques. Sachin did them all. He wasn’t physically powerful against the bowlers he faced but he was courageous to take them all down.
He taught me life lessons more than my school or college would ever do to me. He taught me so many things starting from following the passion and how to keep improving day by day.
There were times when I used to take examples from Sachin’s game and how he overcame fears to win the matches.
Nothing can ever beat the happiness of watching Sachin playing those beautiful shots, especially, the straight drive. I definitely would marry the shot if I had a chance.
He wasn’t the strongest and he did have vulnerabilities but he knew how to concentrate on his strength and come out in flying colours. Sydney’s 241 is a huge example of the same. The best part is that the knock came against Australia. I mean, how astonishing was that?
There are just too many things to pen. The memories are hitting me hard right now and I could hear ‘Sachin Sachin..’ in the background.
Records are meant to be broken and I know there will be a lot of cricketers who can break his various records but it is not going to be emotional anymore. I wouldn’t be crying my heart out for the players who create a new milestone. Because Sachin is more than just a player to me, to everyone who watched the game those days.
The emotions are really hard that I do end up crying watching his knocks even today.
It is hard to escape from those memories and ‘Sachin Sachin..’ stays with me forever.
Sachin’s matches are the drugs that are helping me to say the day after scary nights.
Sachin would never know how much I owe him. Starting from my career to where I’m right now. The impact he had on my life is just too much that the words are not enough.
I cannot imagine a life without cricket and there is no cricket without Sachin for me. I imitated him while I grew up, I fought for his cards, I took leave a lot of days to watch his matches, I jumped from my terrace to my neighbour’s to watch the TV. I also turn superstitious while watching his game and was hard on myself when Sachin scored low. It is all funny now but the impact is just too much.
He is more like a family member and there were times that I used to get so angry on him. A bad shot and I would end up breaking things at home. I used to pray for him, for the knocks, for his health.
I injured my hands recently and I had to go through a lot of pain during those times, I used to think of his tennis elbow injury and how he continued to perform even after the pain. It was astonishingly motivating. He gave it all for his country, for his passion.
I wonder what I would talk to him when I get an opportunity to meet him. I practice looking at the mirror and telling myself that the day isn’t that far.
Happy Birthday, Sachin.
Thank you for giving me a life that I’m leading right now. Of course, you have no idea that I exist. Of course, you would laugh at the things I write to you but the truth is, I owe everything to you.
