Aakash Chopra, a former member of India’s national cricket team, retold a humorous anecdote involving legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and also discussed his sporting prowess. Monday, April 24 marked the 50th birthday of the Indian legend.
Little Master, as his admirers affectionately referred to him, dominated the sport for more than two decades and etched his name into the annals of history by setting numerous records. During his career as a professional cricketer, Tendulkar was a batting prodigy who executed technical strokes with absolute precision.
Aakash Chopra, a former cricketer-turned-broadcaster, recalled a hilarious incident that occurred during one of Tendulkar’s training sessions. Aakash stated that he was astounded when the batting legend asked for advice on maintaining proper posture and whether he was watching the ball closely enough.
“During my tenure with the national team, Sachin Tendulkar asked me, ‘Aakash, would you mind standing behind the stumps?’ I would have stood there regardless, as there is so much to discover. What greater location could there be to learn how to bat? ‘Just peeche khade ho jaao aur unko (Sachin Tendulkar) khelte huye Dekho.’ An excerpt from Boria Majumdar’s ‘Sachin@50’ states, “His response to every ball is the coaching manual right in front of you.”
Therefore, I would always stand there. In fact, he would inquire whether his technique was proper or whether the shuffle he was attempting was successful. Are you observing the object closely enough? I would feel humiliated by Sachin Tendulkar question. But he would continue to inquire,” Aakash added.
The Mumbai-born batsman is still the leading run scorer in international cricket, as well as in Tests and one-day internationals. In addition, he amassed 51 Test centuries and 49 ODI tons, making him the first and only batsman to achieve a total of 100 centuries, setting a new record. Sachin Tendulkar concluded his illustrious career in 2013, two years after India won the ODI World Cup in Mumbai in 2011.
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