Sachin’s birthday is for all of us to celebrate – Sports News Portal

Worship is personal and does not always have to be expressed outwardly. This act of prayer, internal or external, can take place in your own home or in a religious institution, regardless of faith. On this day, April 24, special prayers are said for a genius who gave us enormous ecstatic moments. He gave us unadulterated joy, he made us forget our pain and sorrow, and he taught us faith, in a different way. Still wondering who this is? Sachin Tendulkar, in case you are suddenly at a loss, because worship, religion and prayers have become so controversial these days.

Thank God Tendulkar is a religion that has stood the test of time. Does this sound bizarre or nonsensical? No, this is the truth because the Mumbaikar who turns 51 today has always ensured that we never lost faith in him – be it batting, fielding or still being a role model after his retirement.

We live in an age where social media is toxic. We live in an age where social media has turned many people into animals, fighting over heroes without realizing the damage being done. After all, when we had come to the City of Joy for the launch of Banned, a book by Boria Majumdar, it was difficult not to listen to an animated conversation about Virat Kohli versus Rohit Sharma, away from the main stage.

This piece is not about war, hate or toxicity on social media platforms. Yes, when Tendulkar sometimes scored runs that did not necessarily result in wins for India, he was criticized too. But then it wasn’t like today where the level of abuse has become so high. Cricketers may never touch social media platforms themselves, but leave their jobs with professional managers.

Back to Sachin and his birthday – it won’t be just one cake that he, his wife Anjali and his immediate family cut. His birthday is a celebration for millions of fans, regardless of time zones. Sachin scored 18,426 ODI runs, 15,921 Test runs, 51 Test centuries, 49 ODI hundreds and took 201 international wickets. There are many defining moments he produced, but when he lifted the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai, that megawatt smile knew no bounds.

Nearly eleven years after Sachin retired, when he was set up for a slew of series against the West Indies for his 199th and 200th Tests, he is sticking around. It’s like your favorite song, your favorite scent that you wear over and over again. It is an addiction that you are addicted to.

What would his fans do today? It could be anything from reliving the magic he produced, to him being remembered as a role model for the way he embraced cricket. We live in an age where the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) debate has become nonsensical. If tennis has the Novak Djokovic vs. Rafael Nadal pot in motion, comparisons are also being made in football, where Lionel Messi vs. CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo) has gotten messy.

Yes, social media existed even when Tendulkar was playing active international cricket, but there was no brazen trolling like today. That is why even at the age of 51, Tendulkar touches us deep inside. Maybe some will go back to Sachin as a screen saver on the mobile phone, or maybe get a cake with his picture on it. Or even a cake in the shape of a bat! After all, the Sachin obsession has not stopped.

As an old school journalist, I was told to be objective and not become a fan when you wrote. Whether it was writing, or the radio and TV media, which I have been a part of since 1987, it was worth leaving out words like ‘I’ and ‘I’.

Today I’m breaking that rule as it happens to be Tendulkar’s birthday. Come on, 51 is just a number, and to use Rohan Bopanna’s phrase, Sachin has touched level 51. Yes, there are physiological changes, but the romance has not left any of its fans. Cricket and romance are a tango.

My fan moment with the God Of Cricket happened in April 2000, during the inauguration of an Adidas outlet in South Delhi. A close friend, Ganesh, had said, “Come for the store inauguration, you will get a few minutes with Sachin Tendulkar.” There were no mobile phones with such high-resolution cameras at the time. Yes, the photo was clicked with him and at that moment of fandom, I struggled to ask him many questions. It wasn’t an assigned interview, but it turned out to be an exclusive interview, which left a few bosses at my workplace red-faced.

Why? Because I wasn’t supposed to be a ‘cricket writer’. But Sachin was never just for cricket writers or fans. And yes, despite the opportunity to get media accreditation for his 199th Test in Kolkata, I came as a fan and watched him. Not from the press box, but a good seat arranged by an ex-colleague.

I watched that Test at the Eden Gardens as a fan, not to tell or write stories. It was just to see the legend in action. There was a push to go to Mumbai for the 200th Test, but I had to be with my brother, who passed away on November 16, 2013, in Bengaluru.

I will still attempt a Sachin interview one day, a formal interview. After all, the man who has seen Sachin up close and knows him so well, BM – Boria Majumdar, could help me!

Until then, like every Sachin fan, I will pray and wish that we can have more champions like him. Icons like Sachin come once in a lifetime and touch your heart. Happy birthday, legend.

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