Dear Sachin,
It’s been a year since I wrote to you a letter, I am starting to make this a habit until and unless you, my idol responds to it. First of all, Happy 46th Birthday Sachin! It has been five and a half years since you retired from international cricket, a few days I with my colleagues were working late in the office preparing videos for your birthday, listening to your retirement speech from November 13, 2013, still gives me goosebumps, no matter how many times I have seen it, it still leaves me teary-eyed.
At first, I thought I was among the few who fought with their parents whether there is an exam or anything for that matter, saying, “Please, bas Sachin ki batting dekhne do”. Later, I realised that it was not just me millions of people like me who did the same including MS Dhoni who revealed it in the trailer of your movie.
It has been over a year since I saw you for the first time at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi when you were in the capital while mentoring Mumbai Indians (MI) for a clash against Delhi Daredevils (DD). Unfortunately, MI lost as they fell short of a few runs. I said it last year and I am saying this now, I still believe you would have changed the game single-handedly had you been on the team (I support MI only because of you).
Recently, we shared our favourite moments from your career, oh boy! it was a tough task for me. I narrowed it down to two, 98 against Pakistan in World Cup 2003 and 175 vs Australia at Hyderabad in 2009. A few will say I am dramatising it a bit but at that time the image of you hitting a six over covers starting playing in my mind. Oh, wait! it is playing in my mind like one of those ‘gifs’ we see on the internet these days.
Like you broke the shackles and went outside your comfort zone to do achieve something, I did a similar thing (divided by a million of what you did on the field). I went on to meet people and asked them to share their favourite moments from your career, I was ecstatic on taking those vox pops.
People are madly in love with the personality you possess, not just on the field but the off the field as well. People were crazy for me like I am. One of the guys had the poster of your movie on his debit card. Later, I asked for it as well. It’s just because of you that I broke the shackles and went on camera and interviewed people, which I fear the most.
Above all, you’re the reason I have a job today! Thanks Sachin for giving me and millions of people, a warehouse full of memories to cherish out whole life. Happy 46th birthday Sachin, Long live the ‘God of Cricket’.
Your fanboy,
Arun Rawal
P.S. One day (imagine me trying to copy Liam Neeson’s voice) I will meet you and take your autograph on my bat!
