FAREWELL TO GOD!

As the curtains came down on the career of the greatest gentleman of the Gentleman’s game not one throat was without a lump and not a single pair of eyes without tears! The 24 year long celebration of the game of cricket, which was truly 24 carets pure, came to an emotional end today at the Wankhede in Mumbai and left a billion Indians numb and shell

Another century! He has done this for 100 times!

shocked. Cricket without Sachin? How will that game look like? India is still trying to come to terms with this reality. The man who united India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Somnath to Kamakhya, the man for whom devotees prayed everywhere from Jama Masjid to the Golden Temple and from Shravanbelgola to Basilica Bom Jesus was the pulse of the Nation and he throbbed in over a billion hearts!

But was it only his cricket that made him what he is today? He answered this question himself in his farewell speech, which was nothing short of epic. See it for yourself by clicking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYLF3qQCKM0

The man was simply flawless even on such an emotional occasion as he did not forget to thank even a single soul who helped him. Starting from Siddhi Vinayak to his departed father, his mother, and his elder brother who saw the spark in him and pushed him into cricket, to the Dronacharya – Sri Ramakant Achrekar, to his lovely wife Anjali, with whom he said he enjoyed the best partnership, to his children who have not been possessive but let him be there for India as well, to his seniors , captains, team-mates and opposition players in all types of cricket teams everywhere, to the cricket administrators grounds staff, to finally his over a billion fans the world over, he did not forget a single sole! This is exactly what makes him so special – his humility and his gratitude to the excellent support system.

Sachin and his mind boggling stats!

The fact that he has more ‘Man of the Match’ awards than the total number of games played by many so called greats of the game, tells us how simply incomparable he is! The fact that he has played the fiercely competitive game at its highest level for almost a quarter of a century speaks volumes about his work ethics and dedication! The fact that he was the target of the opposition all his life and yet not one player who played against him feels anything but privileged to be called his one time opponent tells us in how high esteem he is held by his peers! The fact that in 24 years he has been in the receiving end of some horrendous umpiring decisions and ugly yellow journalism and yet never lost his cool on or off the field exemplifies his upbringing as a man who was born to be the king! Cricket lovers of my generation all over the globe are blessed to be born in his era. This was the ‘Satyug’ of cricket, because God himself batted for India at No.4!

The government of the day today chose to confer on him the highest civilian honour, the ‘Bharat Ratna’, but the people had bestowed him with this honour long long ago. They have always considered him as the jewel in their crown, and when they endlessly chant his name Sachin-Sachin, their admiration and adulation is there in abundance for all to see.

I am still trying to find a reason to watch the forthcoming South Africa series. Cricket will never be the same again!