BY AMIT RELAN
Co-Producer, Woot Factor
Sachin! Sachin! These are chants that I related my ‘religion’ to as I grew up in Mumbai. Cricket is the only religion that unites the nation, and Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (SRT) is the one human being that denotes the nation for me.
Such must be the story of millions growing up in this country in the 80’s and 90’s, as we all took to cricket in some form or the other, and found a hero to worship. We are a nation that seeks a face, a voice, a performer, to connect with which attracts us to a sport or any other discipline. So, be it a Narendra Modi, who gets youth connected with Politics, or Sania Mirza who gets Tennis its time under the sun, we have always been driven by inspirational figures who define the journey of our lives.
As I grew up in the era of SRT, like everyone else I defended him as if I was Achrekar Sir (his coach). It was almost as if I shared the ground with him. His success was directly related to how my week would go, and his failure resulted in loads of anxiety and anger. Sachin carried the weight of expectations for years for India and in the end, stood tall as he left the field at Wankhede, bidding goodbye to the pitch in the most emotional way possible.
I am sure eight out of 10 people believed that cricket came to rest that day, and what followed was merely a game and no more a religion. Every Indian needs an idol to worship, to look at our country divided by States, languages, cultures and each one worshipping an idol whose stories are unique and beliefs stronger than destiny. That day, we lost an idol.
But it was not the first time this nation stood still - Sunil Gavaskar had evoked similar emotions and his retirement too would have made that generation lose something in the game of cricket. “Cricket has no future, soccer is the next big thing” is what I have been listening to, loud and strong over the last few years. I am all for other sports like soccer, kabaddi, basketball, tennis, etc., gaining popularity in our country and providing platforms for national heroes to rise.
But cricket now needs a new hero, and guess the search for the next icon-in-the-making is nearing a closure. Virat Kohli, the 27-year-old Delhi lad, has already stamped his authority on the sport globally and how! Eight years into the sport, he already has over 35 centuries to his credit and a decade of competitive cricket still awaits him. I would not be surprised to see him surpass the Master.
The reason I believe he is the next icon is not related to his stats or his technique (which are near perfect too), but factors which I observe as a follower of the sport, that make him stand out. Him bowing down to the Master during his recent innings at Eden, or making a gesture to the person he loved openly only make me believe that he is human, has a heart and follows it like everyone should. So with a hope that the nation continues to believe in the religion that unites us, I look forward to the Agla Virat ‘The Next Big Thing’.
@ FEEDBACK
amit.relan@wootfactor.com
