Almost a year has passed since Sachin Tendulkar retired from international cricket but there is some time left before he retires from our minds. In spite of the fact that he has hung his boots, I still see endless debates going on what has cricket and Sachin given to our public?
From roadside tea stalls to international news channels, this question still pops up every now and then with no conclusive answer. It makes me wonder, what could be the most perfect answer to it?
People have criticized this game saying it as a waste of time. They say that Sachin has been nothing more than a good sportsperson. Comparing him with God is being looked at as one of the most idiotic things one could do. Do these statements make perfect sense to you, if yes then probably you should stop reading right now, because for me they DON’T.
What has Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar given to an ordinary middle class man?
It is that one THING which the government failed to give to a common man. The society in which that common man lives couldn’t give him that one THING. The common man’s kids, whom he thought will one day improve the family’s condition couldn’t give him that one THING. Hundreds of stuff going around that common man couldn’t give him that one THING which this man single handily managed to give.
That one THING which I am talking about is hope.
And hope is a good thing to have. Sachin made everyone believe that they are a part of something special. Something which is huge, magnanimous and above everything else in the entire world. This is a feeling of standing tall with pride, that yes, we are the best.
At times when everything was going wrong with the country, the GDP was very low, riots were going on, farmers were committing suicides, and many more such issues then there stood a man against all such odds who gave everyone a reason to smile. A reason to rejoice, celebrate and be happy, even if it was only for the slightest of period. I am not saying that he managed to do away with all of our problems but what he did manage to give us was, moments of utter bliss, happiness which was pure.
Cricket is only played by some 10 odd nations and hence you might question that being the best among only 10 countries does not really count. Of course it wouldn’t have, if India were the best in other sectors like economics, development, literacy rate or even sports like football, athletics, tennis, formula one, but India wasn’t. This is the reason why associating oneself with the best batsman to have ever played the game of cricket, was so overwhelming. At least there was one man in our country who made every citizen believe that we are the best.
I am not here to talk about the numerous records which this little genius has created on the field. I just want to discuss the infinite memories which Sachin Tendulkar has given to each and every individual of our country.
You cannot measure hope and inspiration on any scale and that is why it’s unfair to question the great man’s contribution in every individual’s life.
Cricket has moved on after his retirement and so have the people but there is a challenge which everyone is still facing. The challenge is, to associate oneself with the game in the same way as when Sachin used to walk on the field wearing the number 10 jersey, carrying a billion hopes on his shoulders.
Sachin’s records might get broken in future but I don’t think there ever will be a person, be it from any field, who will have the power to unite the nation in the way Sachin used to do when he batted. Even those who didn’t follow the game also got mesmerized by the way he used to bring the nation to a standstill.
Whenever the question will arise of what has a common man benefited from Sachin Tendulkar, the answer will be a very simple one, its hope, and hope is a good thing.
