Sachin Tendulkar - Cricket without the legend? Just imagine the vacuum!

Again a big question mark today, on the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar’s recent performance in the ongoing IPL, appears somewhat awkward. Undoubtedly, everybody is concerned and fans do have an interest in the growth story of Sachin Tendulkar, but most of us intend to, with due respect, draw the attention to two basic issues. First being that how can anybody question the judgement of the Mumbai Indians team, especially when the owner is no less than the great entrepreneur Mukesh Ambani himself? Secondly, we must make it crystal clear to ourselves that never before in the history of cricket such a situation has arisen. Be it the unbeatable records he holds, or the long tenure of non-stop playing, or the legendary status he has got, and most importantly, being one of the favourite personality of billions. The fact that somebody has scaled this Himalayan level of marked performance, matters a lot. He is still the most valuable asset that Indian cricket has ever had.

It appears a little strange that, on the one side all of us, I repeat every single cricket loving human being, fully support the campaign for conferring the prestigious Bharat Ratna; and on the other hand, when unfortunately he is not able to perform up to the mark, we degrade our opinions? I do not see any place for hypocrisy while judging a celeb like Sachin.

Forming an opinion without giving a serious consideration and adjudging things with a narrower perspective might draw momentary attention, but ultimately this does not prove good for the individual, the game, and the millions of supporters. For the sake of reference, I make it very clear that Mumbai Indians or even IPL has emerged hardly a few years back, but the magnificent contribution of Sachin in practically every important match played for India, since the tender age of 16 till 40, amply clarifies the stature of the legend.

Just one startling fact will hopefully clear the stand some people have taken against Sachin’s modest average in this year’s IPL. Sure, it is correct, but then, we must not forget the very fact, that even today the overall average of Sachin since the inception of IPL is 34.33, which is far more than the globally acceptable average of 25 in the T20 matches. This speaks volume about his calibre.

However, nobody is denying the fact that Sachin is not in good form right now. But, please don’t ignore the pressure of performing he goes through! It is unimaginable that the god of cricket does not understand the love, affection and expectations of millions. Many still believe that a substantial number of fans throng to the stadium even today, just to watch him play. And as one of my friend exclaimed, seeing him dazzle is a chance of a lifetime.

Is this a sheer coincidence that just as I am writing this article, Sachin is batting beautifully and he has scored 48 runs? I don’t have to say anything else, because a contribution of 48 runs at the age of 40 is enough for me!