Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar-It's Been A Privilege

I still remember the 1st innings of Tendulkar I watched as a cricket crazy kid(like all others in India). It was a scintillating 127 against Kenya in the 1996 world cup. What a world cup it was, followed by a 90 against the Aussies, 70 against the Windies, 137 against Sri Lanka and disappointing 3(I think) against Zimbabwe.. the sign of great things..

So many unforgettable moments..

143 and 134 in Sharjah..

Obliteration of Shane Warne with a 155 in Chennai..

136 against Pakistan in Chennai..

140 against Kenya after the death of his father in the world cup..

An amazing 2003 world cup with the crowning glory - 98 against Pakistan blowing them away on 3rd March, 2003 at Centurion..

Since I left home, I've watched very few of these innings. Being a fan who used to only watch the game as long as he batted, it meant a complete shift from Cricket to Football..

But I caught the 200th run.. and boy, am I glad!

Thank you Sachin Tendulkar. We have precious little to cheer for when it comes to sport in this country of ours.. and you've carried that burden with no complaints whatsoever for 23 years..

A lot may be said about your ability to play under pressure, perform when chasing in big games - all that's small talk.. in 30 years, I am sure every Indian kid from my generation who has watched cricket will be telling our grandkids that we were fortunate to have lived in the era of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar..

Celebrating you being right up there with Pele, Maradona, Senna, Sampras, Federer, Woods, Armstrong, Schumacher and the like in the pantheon of sporting greats..!