Sachin Tendulkar at 50: Still relevant and contributing to cricket 

“I met him for the first time when he was 13 during a Ranji Trophy match in Thane. One of the players from Bombay, Ravi Thakkar, told me to give him some advice as he was starting out. I chatted with him for 45 minutes about how to go about the game and what he could do to develop a career.

"What struck me was the way this little kid looked at me. I don't think he even blinked. He was not listening to me; he was drinking my words. I sensed this boy was going to be someone. He looked sincere and meant business, even at that age,” says Gaekwad, who developed a rapport with Tendulkar from his days as selector before turning coach.

Tendulkar broke several records in his career. He never chased numbers for the sake of milestones. “The team always came first. He believed his performance was not as important as the team’s performance. He would be affected if the team lost. He was a youngster, full of energy, wanting to do well all the time,” he adds.

Gaekwad, who saw Tendulkar both as player and captain, believes he earned respect for both his on- and off-field temperament. “He carries people along with him. I am glad we are still in touch. I was fortunate to be the coach of the team where he played, be with him and see some of the best knocks.”

Letter from Gavaskar

Anil Joshi of Sungrace-Mafatlal, the company that gave a scholarship to a young Tendulkar, narrated an incident when he, and Hemant Waingankar, had to request Sunil Gavaskar to write a letter to an upset Tendulkar as he missed out on the Junior Cricketer of the Year award by the state association. “He was almost thinking of giving up the game after not winning the award. We were worried about his future. We asked Gavaskar since he was a legend.

"We told him about the problem ahead of his centenary match. He thought about it for a few minutes, and when we reached the airport, he took out a notepad. Usually, he would carry a letterhead in his kitbag. He started writing the letter. He told him to pursue the game. Gavakar highlighted that even he had missed out on the award but did not fare badly in Test cricket," Joshi remembers.

Down to earth

Tendulkar never carried the air of being a brand. And his humility is perhaps one of the prime reasons behind his success.

Devendra Prabhudesai, the former media manager of the Indian cricket team and the author of Hero: A Biography of Sachin Tendulkar, says he never felt he was interacting with a Bharat Ratna. "At the book launch in 2017, I was supposed to present the first copy to him on stage. When everything was ready, I went to his room at the Cricket Club of India to escort him to the hall. Being a former media manager of the BCCI, I was used to walking behind the cricketing legends by force of habit. The doors opened with an anxious audience waiting to see Sachin, but he suddenly stopped. Naturally, I also stopped.

"He turned around, tapped me on the shoulder, and said: Devendra, this is your function, your launch. You lead, and I will follow. He made me walk ahead of him. It was generous of him to do that."

Prabhudesai also remembers how Tendulkar agreed for a press conference after scoring his only hundred in the IPL. "In 2011, I was doubling up as the media manager at IMG-Reliance, and I had to arrange for a player to speak to the media after Mumbai Indians lost to Kochi Tuskers Kerala where he scored a hundred.

"People told me Sachin was not too keen on post-match pressers, but he immediately agreed when I requested. He walked with me from one end of the stadium to the press conference room," says Prabhudesai, adding that the man's quest for perfection turned him into a global icon. "There was a function at The Park Sheraton in Chennai after the India-Australia Test series in 2001. I saw Sachin and Mr Gavaskar discussing technique in a corner the moment I entered the hall. This was after he had scored 6,000 Test runs and almost 10,000 runs in ODI cricket."

Joshi feels 50 years flew by in a flash. "I still remember dropping him at the airport when he was leaving for county cricket. He was young, and used to travel alone; often got confused with the roads between the counties. He would take detours and follow the routes he knew."

He sums up, stating that if not God, he is definitely the demigod of cricket. "He got the best farewell at the Wankhede Stadium. People were in tears. It proves his popularity."