rediff.com: Independence Day 2008 Images: The icons that make India

Sachin Tendulkar: For making cricket extraordinary

'We must feel lucky that he was born and played for our country'

August 12, 2008

Indian all-rounder Suresh Raina and CNN-IBN Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai on the cricketing legend.

Suresh Raina: Sachin Tendulkar is a true icon of our country. I was quite small when Sachinpaaji started playing cricket, but as I grew up I was quite inspired by his batting. He is one of the reasons why I took up this game.

Even today, he continues to inspire us. It is like a dream come true for us to be sharing the same dressing room with him and getting a chance to play alongside him. He is a real inspiration for us youngsters.

Whenever he gets the time he advises me and all the youngsters in the team about our batting. If there are any problems, he helps us with his advice which really proves helpful.

It is difficult to match what he has done for India and the laurels he has brought to our country. He has broken every record that existed in cricket and whatever remains he will surely break them before he hangs up his boots.

Sachinpaaji is the best batsman the world of cricket has seen and we must feel lucky that he was born and played for our country.

Suresh Raina, one of Indian cricket's great hopes for the future, e-mailed this tribute to Harish Kotian.

India, 61: The icons that make India

Rajdeep Sardesai: I was one of those fortunate to see the Little Master score his first hundred, but at that time it did not strike me that he was going to be an all time great. To my mind, India's three great players are Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and, of course, Kapil Dev.

Irrespective of whether Sachin breaks the record of becoming the highest scoring bastman, he has had tremendous impact on the youth of India.

He was the first mega star on Indian television, and now he has become a brand. Those who want to know his contribution must know about his achievements, how many hundreds he has scored and what is his record in Tests and one day cricket.

Sachin's achievments are such that every youth in this country wants to be like him and attain what he did. Even the great Gavaskar would not hesitate to say good words about him. Whatever Sachin did was for India as a nation and his own interest came later.

Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, CNN-IBN, and former cricket legend Dilip Sardesai's son, spoke to Onkar Singh.

Image: Genius in action. Photograph: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

Also read: When Sachin appeared on the Rediff Chat

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