Sachin Tendulkar: Playing My Way (My Autobiography)

Author Sachin Tendulkar (Co-writer: Boria Majumdar)

Publisher Hachette India Private Limited

Pages 497

Price Rs 899/-

ISBN 1473605202

It reminds me of how NBA champion Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers once responded in an interview, “There are some people who are hugely hungry. There are some people who have the will, the determination and the hunger you need to be the best in the world. These people and lonely people become champions. Sachin Tendulkar was no exception. He puts all his blood into playing cricket with meraki.

It was indeed enlightening to watch on TV the coveted book launch of the autobiography of the greatest batsmen of all time bearing the title of ‘God of Cricket’ namely Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. The publisher Hachette India published his autobiography titled Sachin Tendulkar: playing my way.

His father’s words

Born into a Maharashtrian family in Mumbai based in Bandra Sahitya Sahawas Colony having two brothers and one sister and Sachin being the youngest. Her father, Ramesh Tendulkar was an acclaimed Marathi poet, critic and teacher while her mother Rajani worked for the Santacruz-based office of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).

The very first chapter of this book titled “Childhood” is about the words of his father which are still recorded in his mind today. If you stay humble, people will give you love and respect even after you finish the game. As a parent, I would be happier to hear people say “Sachin is a good human being” than ” Sachin is a great cricketer.”

The teaching and upbringing of his parents and the blessings he receives from his fans spread across the world make him an admired and respected personality.

Love can’t be fixed, it just happens (The best partnership)

The book would not be complete if there was no reference to his wife Anjali, the best partnership of his life who was always with him in his best and his bad times – Anjali Mehta becomes Anjali Tendulkar. It was on Sachin’s 21st birthday that they both got engaged.

The curiosity factor still remains in the eyes of the popular masses how and where Anjali met her better half. Well, Sachin had just landed in Mumbai after the 1990 England tour and was waiting to collect his luggage when he saw an extremely attractive woman looking down from the airport viewing gallery. Anjali wore an orange T-shirt and blue jeans. Coming out of the airport, his dear friend Sachin Harshe softly whispered in Sachin’s ear that a very beautiful girl was calling his name and was very eager to meet him. But, with his brothers Ajit and Nitin around Sachin, he was too apprehensive to speak or meet Anjali in person. The point is, love can’t be fixed, it just happens.

Complete autobiography

A very interesting and complete autobiography I must say with interesting anecdotes. This was when Sachin was not out on the 94 at the end of day one. Sachin had invited his mentor, Mr. Ramakant Achrekar, to his house for dinner. Sir, accepted his dinner invitation but only on the day Sachin would score his first cent in school cricket. The next day, Sachin, who hadn’t been out on 94 on the first day, scored his cent and true to his words, Mr. Achrekar came to Sachin’s house for dinner that evening, which was the happiest moment. satisfying for him.

The book was supplemented with numerous color images, including the notes of his speech which Sachin took with him on his last day at International Cricket. What I love about Sachin is apart from the deep respect he has for his parents, it is also the reverence he has for many people who have come into his life, especially to sum up in his own words his Sir M. Ramakant Achrekar. When people achieve exalted success, the tendency is to get carried away and forget their own mentor, which is not healthy. Well, experience enriches our life and we should learn from these patterns in our life journey.

In the voice of all my readers Happy reading!!! Sachin Tendulkar: Playing my way. I hope you all find reading his autobiography as informative as I do. To sum it up in Sachin’s own words, it’s been his life between 22 meters for 24 years.