Dream big: Sachin Tendulkar = Sunil Gavaskar + Vivian Richards

I am leaving out my family because that is beyond anything.

So what is Sachin Tendulkar’s most prized possession? Here’s the disclaimer: “I am leaving out my family because that is beyond anything,” the maestro said. Back to the question and if your answer is kit bag (or ‘coffin’ as they now call it these days), you are wrong. Is it a book autographed by someone equally famous? Nope. He doesn’t run after money so let’s leave that out. What is it, then? Take a wild guess. Actually, forget it. You’d never get it right. “Other than that (wife and children), I like music and I have met various great personalities,” Tendulkar revealed at an event organised by ‘Smaash’ at Mumbai Indians Ka Adda in Kamala Mills Compound (Lower Parel) here on Friday. That doesn’t answer the question, does it? This will. “They have gifted me something or the other. Lata didi (Mangeshkar) has promised something special so it will be reaching me soon. Asha ji gave me something special of hers which sits in my music room.

From the West, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits has given me his personal guitar. I have got another guitar from U2, which is signed by the entire band. Those things are important because I am into music. At this moment, I would say these are the things that are dear to me.” Wow! You know there are people who’d give their right arm for the above-mentioned measures. Let’s get this clear. Tendulkar also spoke cricket and cut his “40th cake” since he turned 40 a few days ago. He stressed on the importance of having heroes. “When I was growing up, I had couple of heroes. I wanted to be a combination, a mixture of Vivian Richards and Sunil Gavaskar. So it is important for this
generation to have heroes and try and get closer to anywhere you can to your heroes,” he said. Come to think of it, he’s realized his dream. Tendulkar reminded his fans young boys and girls in this case that practice makes you perfect. “You can’t count the number of hours, the number of balls you have practiced, the number of balls that you have bowled. You can’t be counting. You can’t look at your watch. You have to just practice and practice,” he said.