Celebrating Greatness (published)

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He has played for over two decades, he has achieved pretty much everything there is to achieve in the game of cricket, he has always put his team before himself, he is one of the few ‘gentlemen’ of the game, he doesn’t have the most masculine voice but his presence more than compensates for it and his results put him in a league that only he is a member of.

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the Little Master, turns thirty-eight today. Over a billion people will celebrate this day and fondly reminisce, when newspapers, TV sets and websites broadcast the tremendous ladder of success that the batting legend continues to climb, the team mates around him that have come and gone, the changing formats of the game that he has experienced and seamlessly adapted to and the different stickers his bat has worn. The one constant element amongst these changing landscapes has been Sachin’s commitment and passion for the game.

His graduation from a debutant to a rising star to the most feared batsman to a legend of the game to arguably the most powerful brand in cricket is a clear testament to that. His demeanour on and off the field, his commitment to and love for the game, his respect for the opposition and his grounded personality have attracted praise from spectators and fellow players the world over, so much so that a Kiwi fan named his son after the batting Maestro.

People in India and overseas have travelled great distances to watch the Little Man go about his business. Sledging tends to take a back seat when he bats, simply because he lets his blade do the talking. Come to think of it, he is one person people enjoy watching, admiring and respecting.

When Sachin Tendulkar walked onto the field with India’s flag placed on his helmet above the BCCI logo, he silenced many a critic in terms of where his priorities lay. And when we see every member of the squad with the national flag on his helmet today, we know how it all started. Sachin Tendulkar has symbolically been the longest standing captain of the Indian cricket team.

When the next generation asks us about India’s favourite son, we will feel privileged to having witnessed this man grow in front of our eyes, not only from a boy to a man but from a player to one of the greatest ambassadors of the game.

Wishing Sachin Tendulkar many many happy returns, and so much more!