It was close to the end of the final exams of my Upper Kg , It was the around the end of March 1994 , a faint memory of watching a cricket match on a small black and white television set that used to be quite a fad in those times.
The match i guess it was a highlights package or something as Doordarshan never showed the Overseas matches live in those years , i guess it still doesn't. The match in which a youngster batting as a makeshift opener smacked the bowlers to all possible corners of the stadium much to the joy of the countless followers of the gentleman's game in the nation. I remember the sudden gasps that followed the fours and the aerial shots , for the common Indian Fan was averse to the idea of someone taking the attack to the opposition. Yet it was not until the 1996 world cup that i finally got an insight into the Game of Cricket and more importantly a man , a child prodigy , a scintillating Genius who for the next 17 years would assure in his own quiet way that the Present and the Future of the Indian Cricket is in his Safest hands. The man who with his desert storm made me follow the game to a Television set in a barber's shop and made me wonder about the improbable things that could be done with a cricket bat in tow yet remain so down to earth , so humble that even the most simplest of the common men would appreciate the tinge of softness in the voice and attitude.
The match i guess it was a highlights package or something as Doordarshan never showed the Overseas matches live in those years , i guess it still doesn't. The match in which a youngster batting as a makeshift opener smacked the bowlers to all possible corners of the stadium much to the joy of the countless followers of the gentleman's game in the nation. I remember the sudden gasps that followed the fours and the aerial shots , for the common Indian Fan was averse to the idea of someone taking the attack to the opposition. Yet it was not until the 1996 world cup that i finally got an insight into the Game of Cricket and more importantly a man , a child prodigy , a scintillating Genius who for the next 17 years would assure in his own quiet way that the Present and the Future of the Indian Cricket is in his Safest hands. The man who with his desert storm made me follow the game to a Television set in a barber's shop and made me wonder about the improbable things that could be done with a cricket bat in tow yet remain so down to earth , so humble that even the most simplest of the common men would appreciate the tinge of softness in the voice and attitude.
The man who not only brought to life multi-million dollar deals to the Game of Indian cricket but also gave a hope to all his ardent fans that money could be earned in tons , if you have the will to follow your passion without fail. The man who could make us laugh , cry and still be anxious all at the same time in one single moment of cricketing frenzy. The man who with his knocks could mesmerize a fan's high fever to go away in a matter of hours. The man for whom so much has been written that even the best of the writers can fall short of impressive words to be put together .
The man we all grew up idolizing , for his shots were as pristine as his mannerisms , for his attitude towards life was as breathtaking as his panache towards earning money and respect at the same time yet remain inexplicably far from any controversy , the man who proved that adulation and humility can go hand in hand.For his rise coincided with the growing up of a whole new generation of this country , a generation that not only followed him but also hero worshiped him till their last breaths , a generation who would be happily satisfied if they earned even an iota of the Respect and Money that he got in the last 25 years.
He is rightly called the God but more importantly he has always been the only Cricketer who seemed to be the perfect source of motivation for achieving what ever you set your eyes upon , without loosing the paramount abstract of life " Respect "
SRT - Respect \m/ " You shall be cherished "
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