Is Sachin the 'GOD' of Cricket...?

With over 17,000 ODI and 14,000 test runs, a flock of ‘tons’ under his belt, novelties of cricketing shots in his archive with exquisite timing and gracious shot placement Sachin still stands tall among the new Gen-X, in action nowadays.The only one in cricketing history to have completed a “hundred” of hundreds along with an ODI double century he seems to be like a “God” of cricket. Each day a new record is formed the next day’s headlines are “record broken by the Little Master”.

Sachin is one of the youngest players to have made a debut for India when he was only sixteen. Since then there has been no looking back. He has been the backbone of team India for over twenty years, striving to give his best, perfecting his flaws , silencing the critics by his knocks, and serving the nation by his thrilling cricket.This ‘little master’ has been the “key” to India’s victories in many tournaments.He seems to rule the world out there on the ground, so can he be compared to ‘God’……?

Yeah why not…, in probably four out of the five records one looks he would find Sachin listed there………whether be the Tests or the ODI’s ………..Sachin seems to shine brightly in the forest of cricket amids the ‘legendry cricketing wonders’.

There have been numerous achievements under the name of Sachin, mentioning all would seem to be impossible! So a few of them are as under:

• Only player to have made a total of 100 tons in both forms of cricket.
• Only player to have made a double century in ODI.
• In just 12 years of his carrer ‘Wisden’ ranked him the second best test batsman after Donald Bradman and second best ODI batsman after V.Richards
• ICC Award-Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for cricketer of the year 2010
• Padma Vibhushana, India’s second highest civilian award, 2008.
• Rajiv Gandhi Awards – Sports: 2005
• Padm Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, 1999.
• Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports, 1997–98.
• Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 1997.
• Arjuna Award, by the Government of India in recognition of his outstanding achievement in Cricket, 1994.
• In October 2010 he was awarded for Outstanding Achievement in Sport and the Peoples Choice Award at The Asian Awards in London.
• On January 28, 2011, he won the ‘Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year’ award.

Along with Sachin there have been “legends” in cricket history. Some very great of their times that they were feared when on the ground and cherished when on the headlines for their innings…! It is their greatness that has made them role models for most of the young generation to follow. Their skills and stamina can’t be matched till now. They played during the times when there was no ‘helmet’ to save them from the sppeding bouncers, no ‘3^rd Umpire’ to judge them not out , no such technologies as one sees now……still they made records,left their imprints on the sands of time……one can’t forget them and their contribution in the field of cricket.. Their records and their contribution have made them immortal in cricketing life. V.Richards, Sir Don Bradman, A. Border, Kapil Dev,Wasim Akram,Shane Warne are ‘some’ among the ‘lot’ many.Their contribution to their team has been no less than Sachin’s.Who can forget that Richards was an integral part of the team which won the World Cup twice, who can forget the unbeaten 175 by Kapil Dev which paved the way for India’s victory in third World Cup…..,who can forget the inswinging yaurkers of Akram and the 90 degree turning balls of Warne….

But still their achievements seem to be neglected when it comes to Sachin. Why so…..?

It compells one to wonder whether ‘Sachin is really like a God to cricket…? Or…………!’