Dear Sachin,
Cricket can produce much better players than you in the coming decades and they might probably break all your records. However, you will still be my god, for the simple reason that you are more than just a mere cricketer and a batsman. If you were a mere cricketer, you wouldn’t be celebrated as you are now by people from all walks of life.
The most memorable moments of my life have always been around you and I vividly remember them. Be it the Sharjah knock, which I watched at my aunt’s place, or the 2003 World Cup knock against Pakistan that I watched at a public screening on the Marina Beach, or the century against England that I watched at MAC stadium live were your brilliant performances .
The way you have carried yourself on and off the field is something for us to learn. It isn’t only your performance that has you revered all over the world. There is something more, which is what makes you different from other legends. When people grumble about why others were not given such an exaggerated farewell, I find it absolutely normal. When these legends are being celebrated by the fans, you are being celebrated by the legends themselves.
I knew this day would come. I thought I would be ready for it, but when you walked back to the pavilion one last time, I felt lost. A sense of numbness crept inside me. I don’t think this void can ever be filled. Such has been your authority over the game.
It might be an exaggerated statement if I say I will not watch cricket after you retire. I will watch cricket, but not like the way I have been watching all these years. No more will I shut down everything else when I am watching cricket. I will admire players, appreciate them, but never worship them. I will not skip work to watch a cricketer play. I will not buy a product, just because a cricketer has endorsed it. I will not shed tears anymore, when a cricketer retires. Thank you Sachin for touching my life in all the ways you did. Your impact on me will last forever. More than everything else, I love you for this message of yours “Don’t stop chasing your dreams, because dreams do come true.” If I am still chasing my dreams, you are the reason behind it.
