For over the last two decades, a chant in the Indian stadium, and some other parts of the world too, which remained eternal is 'Sachin... Sachin!'. Fans of Sachin Tendulkar made this chant an emotion. We have heard the crowd going bonkers over Sachin's entry in the stadium. Whether he reached a milestone or played a gorgeous shot, the chant of his name is what hugged the arena first.
But many people don't know the chant was started by Sachin's mother. The Indian cricket legend revealed it in the latest episode of India Today Inspiration.
"Do you know who started 'Sachin...Sachin'? My mother. When I was 5 or so and I was playing downstairs with my friends in front of our building, after 7.30 or so when the mother wanted me home and I did not want to leave the playground. That's when she used to stand in the balcony and go like.. Sachin...Sachin..you need to come now," Sachin told Boria Majumdar.
"During my playing days, I was superstitious and I did not want to count my runs. The moment you start counting the runs they don't come to you. Same thing with 'Sachin...Sachin'. Don't count just soak in whatever it is. The atmosphere was unbelievable. That is what I enjoy. It is a blessing. However much I thank people, it is never enough," he added.
Sachin's mother had visited the stadium in Mumbai to watch his last match for team India in 2013. It was an emotional moment for the cricketer as she came to watch him play the first time in the stadium.
"Oh, I think I am speechless when it comes to explaining that. I don't know how to express myself. My mother hadn't seen me at all. I said 'you need to come to the stadium at least once, to see why I used to leave home for so many years. You've seen me on television that's fine but you need to see me live in action at least once. No one can guarantee how many runs I'm gonna make but just at least I could tell everyone that my mother has watched me play'.
"She agreed, of course, she has some challenges; she is not so mobile but we were able to get her there and then West Indies started batting and she was about to go back but another friend of mine Avinash said that you should stay here, you never know Sachin might be batting at the end of the day's play. And I did! How can I forget the last over! Before the last over, anyway I was emotional and I was looking at the giant screen in the stadium and there was a closeup shot of my mother which she wasn't aware of and suddenly she sees herself on the screen and that reaction. I said, 'guys please don't do this, I need to survive this over!' And then they moved on to my brother, Anjali and my whole family. After every ball, I was thinking, 'now who's next'. I survived that evening but I can never forget those moments," concluded Sachin.
(With India Today Inputs)
