What does Sachin Tendulkar mean?

GOD as they call him, he is the gem of his sport; he has been the backbone of cricket in India. We can’t even begin to imagine how many kids have dreamt about him while going to sleep every night and have woken up wanting to become a cricketer.

He is the reason why people watch cricket; he is the reason why people play cricket; he is the reason why those 10 players strived so hard to win that World Cup after 28 years.To support those words, here are some quick numbers about Sachin: Staring from ODIs:Highest runs in ODIs: 18000+. The next best is Ponting with 13000+ runs. Do you think anyone will ever reach that mark?It is the sheer dedication of this one man that he has managed to soar to such height.Highest runs in a World Cup: Sachin Tendulkar made 673 runs in ICC World Cup 2003. We didn’t win it but Master Blaster performed his very best. This also shows that cricket is a team game. Even if a single player is the best, entire team is responsible for the win. Retirement of this cricketing wonder is not the solution for poor performance of the team.Most runs in a calendar year: Sachin Tendulkar’s name is in the list 6 times. Of course, he is leading this table too: 1894 runs in 1998 and another 5 different years too… In fact, he has most hundreds in a calendar year too: 9 hundreds in 1998.

How did he manage to do this? We are talking about a human being who has sacrificed his entire life for this game. He is the best in this business and that has come through with his immense hard work and talent.Most runs in an innings: Until Sehwag’s 219, Sachin paaji was leading this table too with 200* runs. He was the leader of the table in 3 different categories (runs, centuries, highest score) unlike any other player.No other player has even played 458 ODI matches and yet got the strike rate of 86.22. In fact, he has played most consecutive (185) matches for his team, has won the highest number (62) of MOM awards and also, most (15) MOS awards too.Maximum number of FIFTIES: With 95 half centuries, nobody is even close to Sachin paaji. No need to mention that this man has most hundreds in his career and a couple of more won’t affect the record-books much. If that is not all, Sachin Tendulkar also has maximum 100s against Team Australia. So anyone feels Sachin paaji can’t face those bowlers and Australian pitches, get a reality check done guys. He has 9 100s against Australia, more than anyone else!And he is the same guy who got out the maximum number of times in the “nervous nineties”. Well, let me ask: How many of get depressed when we score a mark less or miss our desired ranks because of that single mark?With Sachin paaji it has happened 18 times and he is still going strong. He has not cried, he has not given up and he shall never do it. Learn from him while you can, because someday when you’ll want to, he won’t be so close at hand.Maximum number of FOURS: with 1991 hits to the boundary he’s at the top of the order, with 2nd highest being Jayasuriya with 1500 hits to the fence. In fact, he also has hit highest number of FOURS in an innings: 25 (in the same match when he scored 200*) It is time for the critics to shut-up!Sachin Tendulkar is the fastest to reach 10000 runs; and fastest to reach 13000 runs. And after that, the only player to reach 14k, 15k, 16k, 17k, and 18k runs! Nobody is even in the vicinity of that number!Let’s talk about Tests:

He has played 188 Test matches for India and scored 15000+ runs with 51 centuries and 65 half-centuries: All the numbers are the highest in the history of Test Cricket. He is the fastest player to reach 12000 runs in Tests and since then, the only player to reach 15000. But that’s not all; he also has maximum number of 90s in his Test career: 10 (a record he shares with S Waugh and R Dravid).This is the man we are talking about. Every cricinfo record page has his name mentioned. Most of the times, he is leading the table while otherwise, he is just among the top 5. Every Indian is proud to have a man who is worshiped across the world for his skill, talent and dedication.We are talking about a person who is so dedicated to his career that he has spent his 22 precious years of life in single job. Can you name any other player who has shown same amount of commitment in this era?So today, when I see and read articles blaming him and questioning his efficiency, I feel ashamed that people have forgotten about what he has done for the game. I can name people for whom Cricket is nothing more than Sachin, who will proudly say that they’ll stop watching cricket once Sachin retires. This is the impact this one man has on all of us.

There are kids who idolize Sachin and pray to him before going to practice. I am sure 90% of us have Sachin’s photo somewhere in our rooms. Not only in cricket, he has also inspired us to be good human beings in real life. He has told us that while talent will take u to the peak of success, it is humility and compassion that will help u stay there.

We have never heard of Sachin paaji involved in any controversy. He has always let his game and let his performance do the talking for him. A soft-spoken human being, a calm-nature person and an equally cool-headed next-door guy; Everyone wants to meet him once, see him without a screen in between.I have been a fan too. I have been a supporter too. I have been a privileged girl too. I have met him on his home-ground in the practice net and also played alongside him. He spoke just a single sentence to me and that sentence changed my world. I have learnt the biggest lesson of my life from him and I am going to take that lesson with me forever. The lesson of keeping my feet deeply rooted in ground while flying in the winds of success. Success comes to everyone but very few can retain it. And how do people retain it, has an example in what Sachin Tendulkar is about.

Even if Sachin paaji retires tomorrow, his deeds, his words and his life will stand as a moral support and inspiration to thousands like me. Tomorrow there will still be kids who will want to be the next paaji and keep playing just like him. Dear fellow cricket lovers, before questioning his talents and his retirements, pause for a while and think. You maybe right but trust me, that man knows the game a lot more than all of us combined. He knows it perfectly well what has to be done next. After all, he has carried Indian Cricket on his shoulders for 22 years and is still the strongest of all.Let us not stand and point fingers; let us unite and support him and the entire Indian Team. As there will be many who’ll join you in the celebrations of victory; but there are very few who’ll hold your hand strong when you fall. Decide in which category you want to be!- A proud Indian- A Dravidian- An ardent Sachin worshiper- An zealous Cricket lover