Thank you Sachin

I was a 12 year old kid in 6^th standard playing with my friend in a small village in Eastern Maharashtra (Varthi, Bhandara District). 1992’s world cup was going on and while leaving from our homes to go out and play, we had heard from our respective mothers that India had won the game against Pakistan. Till that day we had had not seen any cricket game and our interest was just beginning to develop. While discussing the game, I told my friend that Sachin had played well and helped India win the game. My friend disagreed and said it was actually Tendulkar who played better. Argument heated up and we came to blows without realizing that we were speaking about the same person. That was my first acquaintance with Sachin. The date was 4^th March,1992.

A year passed and I was selected for Table tennis team of my school and to play regionals, we went to Gondia which was another obscure town in Maharashtra (slightly bigger though). All the seniors in my team were discussing that india had reached finals of Hero cup and it so happened that we went for dinner in small dhaba as the final overs were going on. Everyone in there was glued to TV and as Sachin bowled that final over and India won, it was the first time I experienced the collective awe, joy, excitement that Sachin was to give us in coming years. It was also the day when Sachin become my favourite cricketer.  The date was 27^th November, 1993.

Some years passed. My father got a job in Lagos in Nigeria and my touch with cricket went away as there was neither Indian channels nor Indian newspapers in that country. We did not afford a computer and dial up connection at that time. There was no news in local papers either as Nigeria does not play cricket. When 1996 World cup came, local government decided to put it up on radio channels. My father used to take the car to his office but on day of semifinal I asked him to take a lift and spent the day sitting in car and listen to commentary. My day was over when Sachin got out and probably due to sadness, I forgot to switch off the radio as I walked out of the car. The battery drained out due to which my father again had to take a lift and I got hell of a firing. The day was 13^th march, 1996.

In 1998, I did my 12^th and came to India to prepare for my engineering entrance exams. I was happy to be back in India. I was living with a joint family of our family friends and the day Sachin helped India qualify in Sharjah we all rejoiced together. It was 22^nd April 1998.

Soon after I got through to my Engineering in Chandigarh. I formed new friendships and forgot old ones. World cup started in 1999 and one day as we sat chatting in our rooms, a guy called Punit came running into the room and said that Sachin is coming back since his father had expired. Thinking it to be yet another plan to pull a fast one, we dismissed it. By evening it was confirmed that this was indeed true. Few days later, we saw a solemn but resolute Sachin score 141 not out against Kenya. At that time and even now, this was the biggest example of sacrifice I had seen by any cricketer. The whole hostel cramped  in that small room and on a 26” TV was cheering Sachin and I suspect Sachin made more fans that day than any other. The day was 23^rd May 1999.

6 months later, Sachin became captain and we found that India was going to play a test match in Mohali. The day that I was going to see Sachin had come!!! We took out students pass and went to see the 1^st day. Till you have seen a match in a stadium featuring Sachin, you have got no clue what it feels like when he walks out. Long queues swelled outside because NZ sent India to bat and we were pushing our way as well to see Sachin. he came, we cheered but he went away quickly as did the rest of team. 1^st day got over and we were leaving when we saw Sachin and Kapil (his 1^st match as coach of Indian team) walk out into middle for a chat. We rushed back to the boundary from where vehicles go into the ground and started shouting to get his attention. Suddenly a sharp pain went up in my legs. I turned around and found Punjab Policemen (seen to be believed) freely yielding their sticks on us. We turned around as one and ran out like a mob running away from tear gas. The day was 10^th October 1999. Four more days went past and on last day during presentation ceremony, I lost my voice shouting ‘Saachhhinnn..Saachhinnn’.

4 more years passed. I completed my Engineering and went back to my home town, then did my MBA and got a job in Mumbai. I met a girl and married her after almost 2 years of courtship. 2011 World cup started and India reached finals and suddenly my angel brother called me up one day and told me that he has tickets for the final. Me, my wife and my close friend Saurabh went to watch that match. Once Sachin got out the script looked similar and I told my wife that we are leaving. She put her foot down and said that she will not leave until its over (till this day I thank her or else I would have been very upset with myself once I knew what happened later). India won and I saw emotional Sachin being carried by his teammates from a distance of 10-15 feet. That was closest i had seen him. The day was 2^nd april 2011.

1 more year passed and Sachin announced his retirement. I live in a suburb of Mumbai around 20 kms away from Bandra where Sachin stays. When I heard of this, I wrote a thank you note and took my wife all the way outside his house and left the note with a policeman who was guarding his home. The day was 23^rd December 2012.

I have recollected my favourite Sachin moments and left out so many others. Come to think of it, I have known Sachin longer than I have known anyone else outside of my family (even if the acquaintance has been one way). All my friends mentioned above have moved on and we are no longer in touch. I don’t even know where some of them are. When I first heard of Sachin, I was in 6^th and used to play in my shorts in the lanes near my home. Today, I have an engg degree, a MBA as well and have been working for more than 7 years. This is my story and it is not much different for so many others. During this time, TV’s have got bigger, families have become nuclear, money is not as hard to come by. Somethings have not changed though. I have never been able to move on to other sports. Many friends and colleagues have taken to football, tennis and golf even. As for me and some of my friends, the only thing that connects us long after we have graduated is cricket. We may not talk for months but one knock of Sachin and flurry of sms exchanges and calls happen.

What has also not changed is one man who has been part of Indian team for so long, until now. At one point he was an indulgence, then he became a habit, today he is a part of life. And that is what is hurting most. It is like coming to know Amitabh Bachchan is not going to have a release for rest of our lives.

No longer will the nation hold its breath together as Sachin walks out to bat, no longer will the child in us come out seeing that straight drive, no longer will the stadium bring down the walls with ‘Saaaaaachinnnnnnn-Saaaaachhinnnnn’.  

Sachin has lived in a fish bowl for all his life for us. We have come together and felt that joy at the cost of one man’s normal life. The favourite anecdote that I heard of Sachin is when I waited in a hotel lobby for a whole day to get a glimpse of Sachin. I befriended a policeman and asked him why does Sachin not come out when all other cricketers roam freely. He told me that normally when a cricketer comes out, police guards him from fans but when Sachin comes out they themselves are the first ones to ask for an autograph (including him).

As Sachin plays his last match in Mumbai, I will surely be in the stadium watching him play one last time, thanking him for the joy he has given us, giving him a warm send-off but most of all to shout his name one last time.

Thank you Sachin.