"What am I suppose to write that hasn't been written, what am I suppose to voice that hasn't been said before about the Great man..?" is the question I asked to myself when this article was given to me. I was told this is the day he was born, which I am obviously aware of, and so something has to be there celebrating what the "Man that carried the whole nation on his shoulders for 25 years" stood for and hence, meant to all of us who have grown up admiring him. 

The first lines above is not just a question, its a feeling and a fact. We all share it, and not just the cricket writing community, "what can be said more about the legacy of Sachin Tendulkar?" Honestly, it's a cringe-worthy feeling, which you can understand by now and very well relate to too when you were trying to give him a fitting birthday Twitter and Facebook status wish. I envy those who just put up a fine Tendulkar pic playing his special cover drive, on their Whatsapp and let everyone else embrace it. 

Tendulkar to me, above everything else, is a feeling. He gave a country belief when everyone else was not commanding it. When Tendulkar arrived, he gave a struggling cricketing nation and its cricket-mad people something to be really proud of. He gave them something that they can proudly own, someone that made India stood out from the rest of the world. It's a feeling that Sunil Gavaskar couldn't inflict in an Indian, but Tendulkar did. I have seen this in the eyes of people and has experience, what Tendulkar meant. 

You must be waiting for something to be reiterated about his cricketing credentials and all that has been written about the finesse in his batting. His cover drive, his backfoot punch, his upper-cut, and in his prime that famous hit over deep mid wicket and his pulls and hooks. Him being the highest run-getter across all formats, still, but this is not about that. This is purely about what that man means for me and our nation.

Tendulkar is an asset and that's how the country should see him. I'm glad they already do. He retired five years back, bringing an era to the end.I am very happy that he started off a new one. He is an asset that still bats for India. He is in various roles still serving the society and bettering it for us. He may not be actually playing anymore for Team India but he has wider this term for himself and included the nation in it. 

To Indian cricket, Tendulkar is still only a phone call away from helping the youngsters. Remember Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane straight from the tour of England seeking his guidance, that's what he brings. He is mentoring an IPL franchise, too. 

There has never been a constructive reason to hate this man, hatred was never supposed to be constructive either. Especially not for Tendulkar.   

On his 45th Birthday, I wish for him as much joy and happiness that he enthralled us with for all those years. Truly, Tendulkar is a feeling India should be proud of. 

Truly, Tendulkar is an asset that still bats for India.