Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, better known as Sachin Tendulkar is arguably the 'God of Cricket', courtesy of his incredible records and the way he has revolutionised cricket in India. If we talk about influence, Sachin Tendulkar is often compared to the King of football, Pele, in the way he made people fall in love with cricket. Cricket was always popular in India, but it was Sachin Tendulkar's era that made Indians believe that they could also become the best in the world. The popular saying, "Cricket is my religion, and Sachin is my God", clearly explains the way Sachin has influenced generations with his cricketing abilities.
For the uninitiated, Sachin Tendulkar has the record of the highest run-getter in world cricket. The iconic batsmen had scored 18,000 runs in ODI and 15,000 runs in Test cricket. Talking about his highest World Cup score, he scored 152 runs versus Namibia in the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa. Not only this, but he also has the record of getting the most 'Player of the Match' awards in international cricket. During his illustrious cricketing career, Sachin Tendulkar received a series of prestigious awards like the Arjuna Award (1994), Padma Shri (1999), Padma Vibhushan (2008), Bharat Ratna (2014) and many more.
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Sachin Tendulkar was born into a family of non-cricketers, but his father, Ramesh Tendulkar was a renowned Marathi-language poet and novelist, while his mother, Rajni worked at an insurance company. Not everyone is aware of the fact that Sachin's father chose the name 'Sachin' for his son due to his love for ace music director, Sachin Dev Burman.
As he grew up, Sachin Tendulkar developed an interest in tennis and started idolising legendary tennis player, John McEnroe. However, in the following years, Sachin's brother, Ajit Tendulkar introduced him to cricket, and he instantly fell in love with the game. Ajit decided to take him to the renowned coach, Ramakant Achrekar. After seeing him play, the veteran coach selected him for his academy, and he went on to become the 'God of Cricket'.
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Sachin Tendulkar's journey as a cricketer has a series of ups and downs. There were also moments when people wrote him off, but he proved them wrong time and again. One such incident that played a huge role in making Sachin Tendulkar the 'God of Cricket' was when he was training with Ramakant Achrekar. For the unversed, Achrekar used a unique idea to motivate Sachin whenever he felt exhausted while training.
The coach used to place a coin on top of the stumps and challenged bowlers to out Sachin Tendulkar if they wanted to win that coin. However, if bowlers failed to dismiss him, Ramakant Achrekar used to give the coin to Sachin. It was a unique idea and a source of motivation for both the bowlers and Sachin, as everyone wanted to win the coin. The cricketer won a total of 13 coins during an entire net session without being dismissed while training under Achrekar, which helped him scale his game.
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Once, in an old interview with a leading broadcasting network, Sachin Tendulkar opened up about the 13 coins he had won while training with Ramakant Achrekar. The legendary cricketer clearly said those 13 coins are one of his life's prized possessions. For the unversed, Achrekar is the man, who deserves all the credit for Sachin's legendary career. From grooming him as a teenager to teaching him how to respect the game, Achrekar built Sachin's character, making him the 'God of Cricket'.
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Back in January 2023, Sachin Tendulkar took to his Twitter handle and thanked his coach on his death anniversary. The former cricketer called Achrekar his 'Dronacharya' and even shared how his coach transformed him into a world-class player. His heart-melting note could be read as:
"He taught me technique, discipline and most importantly, to respect the game. I think of him every day. Today, on his death anniversary, I salute the Dronacharya of my life. Without him, I wouldn't have been the same cricketer."
It's incredible how Ramakant Achrekar helped a young boy from Mumbai's Dadar to become the world's greatest cricketer. It clearly shows that you can be born with talent, but in order to succeed, you need to hone your skills. It would be perfect to close this piece with legendary Australian cricketer, Matthew Hayden's comment on Sachin Tendulkar, which speaks volumes about the latter's place in cricket's history. Back in 1998, Hayden complimented Sachin by saying that, "I have seen God. He bats at no. 4 in India."
What are your thoughts on Sachin Tendulkar's stature in the world of cricket? Do you think he is the 'God of Cricket'? Let us know.
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