<p>Millions will throw away a fortune, travel around the globe and wait endless hours at stadiums and hotels to get a mere glimpse of Sachin Tendulkar. His autograph will be cherished and a photo with Tendulkar in the same frame will be treasured forever.<br /><br /></p>.<p>But then there is another group who were more fortunate to have interacted with Tendulkar in person and got to know the man behind the veneer of a legend. For them, he’s not super star, but a friend who spent some relaxing moments with no inhibitions.<br /><br />Former India batsman Suru Nayak has the honour of being the first room-mate of Tendulkar during a Ranji Trophy match against Saurashtra in 1988 at Rajkot. “He was just about 15 then. Even at that age it was easy to see that the boy has something special in him, but never we thought he would grow into the legend that he’s now and play 200 Tests for India,” said Nayak.<br /><br />Nayak remembered him as a shy person. “He was very shy then, and to a large extend he still is, and prefers to keep to himself. Back in those days, Ranji Trophy used to be a big event because many international cricketers played in them regularly. And the word went around about this talented kid in Mumbai team who might soon play for India, and a lot of people surrounded him for his autograph. But he was very shy to sign, and looked for us seniors to help him,” said Nayak.<br /><br />“And he never changed as a person even when there was a lot of temptations. He still like to hang around with a few friends he made in his early days, and that humility I guess is the reason behind his great success,” said Nayak.<br /><br />One such friend is Mandar Phadke, former Mumbai batsman and Tendulkar’s batch-mate from Sharadashram school. “Those days, you could see Tendulkar everywhere – Matunga Gymkhana, Azad Maidan, Shivaji Park. Cricket was his world and we were wondering then when he would find time to study or spent time with his family. After the nets, we will move away quietly to have some snacks or rush to catch the next local (train).<br /><br />“But he was oblivious about all that and continue to bat at nets and we then had wondered from where he got all that stamina. He seemed to draw energy from cricket. Many times (Ramakant) Acherkar sir used to drag him out of the nets after the ground staff plead him to do so, fearing that they would miss the train or bus to their respective homes. Few of us managed to match Tendulkar’s dedication to cricket and batting, and that for me helped him achieve all he has now,” said Phadke.<br /><br />For Vinod Naidu, who has managed Tendulkar’s business deals for the last 15 years, the Mumbaikar comes as a multi-faceted personality. “In one sense, I am fortunate to have been in close touch with a person like Tendulkar. Everyone knows Tendulkar is a great batsman but the person behind the cricketer is equally fascinating – a man of many tastes and interests.<br /><br />“But I am surprised with his knowledge in art. He has updated himself with all the latest details from art world, and I am really amazed when he speaks about a certain work of art – painting or sculpture – with authority. I always think: where does he find time amidst hectic cricket schedule and ad shoots to learn about art and things like that. He has this wonderful ability of compartmentalized thinking,” said Naidu.<br /><br />“Equally fascinating is his passion for philanthropic works. His zest to contribute to charity works in India and worldwide is quite amazing, and many times I have seen him waiting patiently to spend time for differently abled children,” noted Naidu.<br /><br />Rajiv Shukla, BCCI vice-president and someone who interacted closely with Tendulkar as manager of Indian team over the years, too stressed on Tendulkar’s human side. “The first thing he asked me after becoming a Rajya Sabha MP was how to use MP’s fund for the betterment of people in villages.<br /><br />“He started work in that direction, donating his MP fund to a village in Maharashtra that was undergoing the process of turning fully to solar energy for its power needs. For me, Tendulkar the human being is as great as Tendulkar the cricketer,” said Shukla.</p>
<p>Millions will throw away a fortune, travel around the globe and wait endless hours at stadiums and hotels to get a mere glimpse of Sachin Tendulkar. His autograph will be cherished and a photo with Tendulkar in the same frame will be treasured forever.<br /><br /></p>.<p>But then there is another group who were more fortunate to have interacted with Tendulkar in person and got to know the man behind the veneer of a legend. For them, he’s not super star, but a friend who spent some relaxing moments with no inhibitions.<br /><br />Former India batsman Suru Nayak has the honour of being the first room-mate of Tendulkar during a Ranji Trophy match against Saurashtra in 1988 at Rajkot. “He was just about 15 then. Even at that age it was easy to see that the boy has something special in him, but never we thought he would grow into the legend that he’s now and play 200 Tests for India,” said Nayak.<br /><br />Nayak remembered him as a shy person. “He was very shy then, and to a large extend he still is, and prefers to keep to himself. Back in those days, Ranji Trophy used to be a big event because many international cricketers played in them regularly. And the word went around about this talented kid in Mumbai team who might soon play for India, and a lot of people surrounded him for his autograph. But he was very shy to sign, and looked for us seniors to help him,” said Nayak.<br /><br />“And he never changed as a person even when there was a lot of temptations. He still like to hang around with a few friends he made in his early days, and that humility I guess is the reason behind his great success,” said Nayak.<br /><br />One such friend is Mandar Phadke, former Mumbai batsman and Tendulkar’s batch-mate from Sharadashram school. “Those days, you could see Tendulkar everywhere – Matunga Gymkhana, Azad Maidan, Shivaji Park. Cricket was his world and we were wondering then when he would find time to study or spent time with his family. After the nets, we will move away quietly to have some snacks or rush to catch the next local (train).<br /><br />“But he was oblivious about all that and continue to bat at nets and we then had wondered from where he got all that stamina. He seemed to draw energy from cricket. Many times (Ramakant) Acherkar sir used to drag him out of the nets after the ground staff plead him to do so, fearing that they would miss the train or bus to their respective homes. Few of us managed to match Tendulkar’s dedication to cricket and batting, and that for me helped him achieve all he has now,” said Phadke.<br /><br />For Vinod Naidu, who has managed Tendulkar’s business deals for the last 15 years, the Mumbaikar comes as a multi-faceted personality. “In one sense, I am fortunate to have been in close touch with a person like Tendulkar. Everyone knows Tendulkar is a great batsman but the person behind the cricketer is equally fascinating – a man of many tastes and interests.<br /><br />“But I am surprised with his knowledge in art. He has updated himself with all the latest details from art world, and I am really amazed when he speaks about a certain work of art – painting or sculpture – with authority. I always think: where does he find time amidst hectic cricket schedule and ad shoots to learn about art and things like that. He has this wonderful ability of compartmentalized thinking,” said Naidu.<br /><br />“Equally fascinating is his passion for philanthropic works. His zest to contribute to charity works in India and worldwide is quite amazing, and many times I have seen him waiting patiently to spend time for differently abled children,” noted Naidu.<br /><br />Rajiv Shukla, BCCI vice-president and someone who interacted closely with Tendulkar as manager of Indian team over the years, too stressed on Tendulkar’s human side. “The first thing he asked me after becoming a Rajya Sabha MP was how to use MP’s fund for the betterment of people in villages.<br /><br />“He started work in that direction, donating his MP fund to a village in Maharashtra that was undergoing the process of turning fully to solar energy for its power needs. For me, Tendulkar the human being is as great as Tendulkar the cricketer,” said Shukla.</p>
