Drive from Ferrari to BMW.

 Sachin Tendulkar's square drive from Ferrari to BMW.

Remember that game Kabir (Abhay Deol) played in “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara?” When given a word or phrase, the human mind associates it with a particular thing. If you are playing the game, and the word or phrase for you is “Sachin Tendulkar,” you will definitely say “cricket,” or maybe “god of cricket.” However, for those who know this legend in as well as outside the field, “drive” would be the perfect word. On the field, he loves driving the ball to square, cover, off, on or straight; off the field he is passionate about driving cars. All through his cricketing career, Tendulkar has hardly been involved in any controversy; the ball tampering allegation in the second test match against South Africa at St. George’s Park in 2001 was an exception that proves the “law.” He has been an idol outside the field, too. Despite his hugely celebrated “gentlemanship,” Tendulkar has been the target of criticism. Many eminent figures from different walks raised questions regarding his image as a gentleman when the cricketer sold his Ferrari in 2011 to Jayesh Desai, a Surat-based promoter cum businessman. 

 Shobhaa De, one of the most controversial Indian writers, described Tendulkar as “The Legend Who Sold His Ferrari.” The reference to “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma was evident. De’s intention was to demean Tendulkar’s gentlemanly image by trying to prove that he is not a person of “simple living and high thinking” as thought to be. Tushar Gandhi, great-great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, tweeted, “When Sachin got his Ferrari as a ‘gift,’ he wanted duty and excise exemption; now that he has sold it will he ask for capital gains exemption?” The criticisms hurled at Tendulkar were on a sentimental basis, supposing that he should not have sold the car since it was a gift from Michael Schumacher, a legend on the Formula One tracks, who eventually became friends with Tendulkar. A gift from a friend is not meant for sale in any case. Didn’t Tendulkar give it a thought? Could he really do this? Let’s examine the facts. The Ferrari was given to Tendulkar by Fiat when he equalized late Sir Donald Bradman’s record of 29 centuries in test matches in 2002. It was presented to him by Schumacher on behalf of Fiat, not as a personal gift. And when Tendulkar gets a car from a brand that he endorses, is it a gift? Or, is it a branding instrument that the brand and the endorser agree upon? Where from does this “sentiment” peep in? The critics perhaps didn’t know that Tendulkar happened to be the then brand ambassador of Fiat. Tendulkar’s loyalty was once again in doubt when he became the brand ambassador of BMW India on July 27, 2012. BMW happens to be a rival of Ferrari, both being celebrated giants in the automobile world. On the other hand, the cricketer’s love for Ferrari is known to all. He himself has shared his feelings and excitement of driving a Ferrari very frankly. Forget critics, anybody would be surprised at Tendulkar taking a square turn. Let’s review the facts once again. As mentioned, Tendulkar is immensely passionate about driving. Since his childhood days, he has been taking an interest in cars. His car collection says it all. The first car he owned was a Maruti 800 model. The first luxury car he purchased was a second-hand BMW 320i in 1993 at the age of 20. Now, he has a collection of 40 cars, which includes highly luxurious models like Porsche Boxster, Mercedes-Benz C36 and Nissan GT-R, which was air freighted from Japan especially for the Master Blaster. To mention more, there are the BMW M5, BMW X5, Volvo S80 and a black Opel Astra that he won during the Sharjah Cup. So, we find that the first luxury car that Tendulkar bought was not a Ferrari; it was a BMW model. If you calculate and compare his relationships with BMW and Ferrari, the former is the longer one. It was, rather, a politically correct step on his part — though he might not have taken this step consciously — not to have a Ferrari model while he endorsed a rival brand. Had he not sold the Ferrari, the critics would have made a fuss over the fact that Tendulkar endorses BMW India while he rides Ferrari. And then, they would have gone further to measure his honesty, and who knows, they might have gone to the extent of making a money-hungry monster out of Tendulkar. It was really a very clever “cut” on part of the Little Master.