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Sachin Tendulkar reveals what prompted him to retire from cricket in 2013

Tendulkar walked off into the sunset after the 2013 Mumbai Test against West Indies

What’s the story?

Iconic Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has shed light into the days leading up to his retirement in 2013. The 43-year old took a trip down memory lane and revealed what prompted him to bid adieu to the game a few years back.

In his newly created Linkedin page, Tendulkar wrote, “It was October 2013 during one of the Champions League games in Delhi. My mornings would start with a gym workout, a routine I had been following for 24 years. But that morning in October, something had changed.

“I realised that I had to force myself to wake up and go about my day. I knew that the gym training was a critical part of my cricket – something that had been my life for 24 years. Yet, there was reluctance. Why?”

In the past...

A memorable career which had begun on November 15th of 1989 came to an end in November 16th of 2013 with the conclusion of the second Test between India and West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In an emotional farewell speech, Tendulkar acknowledged the vital role played by his family and friends in helping him evolve into one of the most accomplished batsmen in the game. 

The heart of the matter

In a detailed description of the final moments of his career and the challenges surrounding a sportsman’s post-retirement phase, Tendulkar insisted that all those poignant moments from his journey including the 2011 World Cup triumph flashed before his eyes when he indeed made up his mind to call it quits. 

Extra Cover: ‘God of cricket’, Sachin Tendulkar begins his new innings on LinkedIn

A few days following the conclusion of the 2013 Champions League which Mumbai Indians won, Tendulkar announced his decision to retire from the game. The ‘Little Master’ cited the example of his role-model Sunil Gavaskar who had made up his mind to bid adieu from cricket when he found himself checking the clock to determine how much time was left between lunch and tea intervals during a Test match.

In another example, he admitted to remembering the words of tennis legend Billie Jean King who had remarked that an athlete would know when to retire and the signal should come from inside rather than letting the world dictate retirement terms.

Sportskeeda’s Take

Having played the game for a long time, timing the retirement is perhaps the biggest challenge facing any veteran cricketer. As is seen right throughout the sport’s long and illustrious history, it’s always better to quit on top rather than having to face the unfortunate situation of people calling for an experienced player’s head. 

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