‘Game will take care of you in future’ – Ajinkya Rahane recalls Sachin Tendulkar’s morale-boosting talk from retirement day
"We had decided to give Paaji some space [after his retirement speech], and I was astonished when he called me over,” revealed Rahane.
India batter Ajinkya Rahane has revealed Sachin Tendulkar’s morale-boosting words for him following his retirement speech in 2013. The ‘Master Blaster’, as he is affectionately referred to by his fans, celebrated his 50th birthday on April 24 (Monday).
Regarded as the ‘God of Cricket’, Tendulkar made numerous records during his stint with the national team. The Mumbai-born cricketer has 100 centuries in international cricket across all formats while he is the leading run-getter in both Test and ODI formats of the game.
Rahane revealed how Tendulkar gave pearls of advice to him shortly after his final Test against the West Indies at home in 2013. Rahane recalled how Tendulkar motivated the batter to remain focused on his game despite not making the cut in the national team.
“Soon after, the match against the West Indies ended on 16 November 2013 at the Wankhede, and Paaji (Sachin Tendulkar) was back alone in the changing room, having completed his retirement speech, each one of us felt the emotions. We had decided to give Paaji some space, and I was astonished when he called me over,” an excerpt from Boria Majumdar's book Sachin@50 reads.
For the unversed, Rahane was warming the bench as Rohit Sharma had made his way into the XI and cemented his spot. Tendulkar advised Rahane to continue grinding out and that the game would ‘take care’ of him in the future.
“I was the 12th man in that match and had yet to really get my chances in the preceding two years. Paaji had seen me from very close and had this to say. ‘I have known you for years and have seen how much you love the game. You have been the perfect devotee and have served cricket with all the dedication and commitment over the last few years. Rohit (Sharma) has come up and grabbed your spot on the back of a fantastic one-day double hundred against Australia," Rahane shared.
“But you will get your chance, and you should grab it with both hands once you do. For the moment, you may feel it is a cruel game, but I am certain the game will take care of you in the future if you continue to serve it the way you have always done’,” read another excerpt.
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