Shoulders that Carried a Nation's Burden for Over Two Decades

(Sachin Tendulkar being carried on the shoulders after retiring from cricket)

The chants of “Sachin Sachin” in the stadium have always been a moment to cherish for Indian fans. Despite the big challenges on the cricketing field, everyone pinned their hopes on just one person: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the legendary cricketer. Such has been the career of Sachin Tendulkar who served Indian cricket for 24 years and gave us endless moments to remember. Be it the debut against Pakistan or the Desert Storm in Sharjah, Sachin Tendulkar was the only one whose name always comes up in magical moments like this. However, it all stopped on 16th November 2013 when the “God of Cricket’ stepped on the field for the last and final time. The test match against West Indies was the last time he stopped on the field of cricket as he retired from the game after having 34,357 runs and a record 100 centuries to his name.

16th November 2013: Final walk to the pitch

The 2013 Test series was the final assignment for Sachin Tendulkar in his career as just before the start of the series, he announced that the 2nd Test Match at the Wankhede stadium is going to be the match where Sachin would step out for the Indian team for the final time. The whole world came to a shock as after playing for 24 years, Sachin Tendulkar was finally going to retire from cricket. Tickets for the 2nd Test match were sold out just after they were opened for the public and it showed the impact that the “Master Blaster” had on the game.

The match started on 14th November between India and West Indies and it started turning out in the favour of the Indian team as the opponents were bowled out for just 182 runs and hence it was the chance for the Indian batters to take the lead in the match. For the fans, it was the final chance to see their hero Sachin Tendulkar for the final time now. As soon as Murali Vijay got out, Sachin Tendulkar entered the ground with a lot of cheer and chants of “Sachin Sachin”. On just the first day of the match, the fans got a chance to get a glimpse of him and it made the news. The West Indies team gave Sachin Tendulkar a “Guard of Honour” to show the respect that they had for him.

(Sachin Tendulkar coming out to bat for the final time in his career)

Sachin started his innings well and at the end of day 1, he was at 38 runs and everyone was hoping to see 101th hundred from the great man. Day 2 started with Sachin reaching his fifty from just 91 balls and the whole stadium erupted in joy. However, soon the celebrations were cut down as on the ball of Narsingh Deonarine, Sachin was playing a cut shot but that caught the edge of his blade and hence he was caught by Darren Sammy at the slip and his last innings was of 74 runs from 118 balls. The whole stadium was in shock and even the fielder who caught him was having tears in his eyes.

All the fans in the stadium stood up and applauded the “Master Blaster” as he was taking his final walk back to the pavilion after being dismissed for the final time in his cricketing career. For many of them, it was the end of cricket for them as they were seeing their hero going back to the dressing room for the last time and it was quite an emotional moment. In the end, India managed to win the match by an innings and 126 runs and they won the test series by 2-0.

Sachin Tendulkar’s 20 minutes speech that summarized his 24 years of career

India managed to win the 2nd test match on the 3rd day and the whole crowd knew that they were going to have some emotional moments now. After the match was over, the Indian players lifted Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulder and had a lap on the ground to appreciate his contribution to Indian cricket over the years. In the stands, his family members along with the players like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and many more were present who played with Sachin Tendulkar.

(Sachin Tendulkar delivering his Retirement speech)

After a few minutes, Sachin Tendulkar walked down the stairs of Wankhede Stadium with fans chanting his name loudly. He was carrying a piece of paper with him and had the speech ready which he delivered to the crowd emotionally. He started his speech by applauding the crowd for their constant support.

“All my friends. Settle down, let me talk, I will get more and more emotional. My life, between 22 yards for 24 years, it is hard to believe that that wonderful journey has come to an end, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank people who have played an important role in my life. Also, for the first time in my life, I am carrying this list, to remember all the names in case I forget someone. I hope you understand. It’s getting a little bit difficult to talk but I will manage.”

https://youtu.be/joZZyUXU7Bg?si=5_dLlSVHqDuZdUfp

In his speech, he took the names of all the people who stood by him throughout his career. First of all, he talked about his dad who passed away in 1999 but was always there with him when he faced tough times. Besides him, Sachin mentioned his mother and coach Ramakant Achrekar who taught him the real meaning of struggle in his life. He also mentioned his Uncle and Aunt along with his siblings, Nitin and Ajit who constantly motivated him to take up this line.

(Sachin Tendulkar touching the 22 yards pitch that gave him everything in his life)

Furthermore, he mentioned how his wife turned him into a proper man and gave him two lovely treasures, Arjun and Sara. Besides this, he was thankful to his teammates along with the physios, doctors and his late manager, Mark Mascerenhas who was always there with him in his hard times. He finally ended his 20-minute long speech by saying:

“Especially the 'Sachinnnn... Sachin.' Chants. It will reverberate in my ears until my last breath. Thank you very much. I am sorry if I have missed out on anything. Good bye.”

After finishing his speech, Sachin Tendulkar's eyes filled with tears, showing how deeply emotional the moment was for everyone in cricket. He walked to the middle of the ground and touched the pitch as if thanking it for everything it had given him in his incredible career. Throughout his career, Sachin always respected his cricketing gear like bats, pads, helmets and never threw them on the ground in anger.

FORMAT	Matches	Innings	Runs	Highest Score	Average	Strike Rate	100s	50s	6s
Tests	200	329	15921	248*	53.78	-	51	68	69
ODIs	463	452	18426	200*	44.83	86.23	49	96	195
T20Is	1	1	10	10	10.00	83.33	0	0	0

Having won the Arjuna Award, Khel Ratna Award, Padma Shri and many more awards in his career, Sachin Tendulkar is ranked as one of the best cricketers ever. With the Indian team, he won the ODI World Cup in 2011 and was also a part of the Indian team in the 2002 Champions Trophy that lifted the cup with Sri Lanka. Tendulkar's impact extends far beyond his accolades and victories; he has inspired countless aspiring cricketers with his skill, determination, and sportsmanship.