"There's no hurdle that you can't overcome" - Sachin Tendulkar on the role his brother played in his successful career
Sachin Tendulkar is one of the greatest cricketers ever to have played the game and among the most complete batters because of what he achieved across all conditions. His dazzling stroke-play left audiences in awe of the talent and skill the 'Little Master' possessed.
However, it wasn't just all about talent for the 'Master Blaster' as he shed light on the importance of the hard yards that he put in behind the scenes. Sachin also credited his elder brother Ajit for playing a massive role in his preparations before matches.
In an interaction arranged by Meta (Facebook) at their Mumbai office in BKC, here's what Sachin Tendulkar had to say:
"(The shots) It's all hard work. My brother played a huge role in making me understand the importance of preparation. So before every game, we used to sit and plan how I was going to execute my plans the next day. One thing this beautiful sport taught me was to prepare, plan, and practice properly. The results were never guaranteed. There will always be challenges, but there's no hurdle that you can't overcome."
Sachin Tendulkar's focus was never on breaking records
Some of the records that Sachin Tendulkar was able to set in the 24 years that he represented his country have been incredible. However, the legendary batter stated that the idea was to always play for the team first and everything else was secondary.
"It was never about breaking records. It was about my passion for the game and while playing that if records get broken along the way, then okay. But it wasn't just about records. It was all about what the team needed from me at that moment and that was what I was taught by [Ramakant] Achrekar sir [Sachin's coach]. Good individuals make a good team. Individuals can win you matches, but a good team wins you tournaments."
Sachin also spoke about the importance of not missing out on the purpose of your journey and recalled an anecdote about himself.
"With recognition and a bit of appreciation in every profession, there also come expectations. Sometimes we forget what we want to be. I remember I had an injury and I played 4-5 exhibition matches to get back into action because my body was not ready to play big matches. I felt different and then I realized that the kid inside me, that enthusiasm was forgotten. It's important that you remain connected to it all the time."
Tendulkar will be celebrating his 50th birthday later this week on the 24th of April. The occasion is bound to be marked by great celebrations by his loyal fans.