The SUPERMAN from India

24th February 2010 is a red lettered day in the history of Indian Cricket and the reason for it is none other than the master himself. The feeling is yet to sink in and it is one of those days that will be conversed about over dinner tables across Indian families for generations to come. The typical I was there, I saw it in a garage, I saw it in a petrol bunk stories, my internet had got disconnected when he was about to take the run. A moment of high indeed.

From that distance morning in Auckland when he opened the innings for the first time till today, every day has been a reason for celebration for us. A whole lot of us have grown up in life with him being a constant factor. Come joy come sorrow, we have known our gateway to escape to the land of relaxation, rejuvenation and happiness. The smile that he has brought over the years cannot be expressed over a piece of article but he is definitely that one man who holds the power to elevate the mood of the country. He has done it in the past, he is doing it in the present and he will continue to do it in the future. He is the best example of experiential marketing and for every marketer in us there is a lot to learn from him on how he connects with the customers most of the times without fail. In business terms he is empathetic and knows how to satisfy the stakeholders. No wonder off the field he has been one of the most commercially successful Cricketers of all times.

Whenever asked about the man, I have always maintained the fact that more than the game it is the human in him that attracts me. By sheer volume he is one of the most popular face in the world and in the past we have seen how popularity can drive people towards foolishness but he is one such being for whom the priorities have revolved around values and character. His humility and level headedness offers all of us so much to learn. He understands the fact that all the glory attached to his name are because of his deeds on the field and as long he does his duty (scoring runs) perfectly he will be hailed. It is not the other way round. The man is a machine of runs for sure but more than that he is a fountain of knowledge and inspiration. How many people do we know who have that childishness alive in them at the age of 37? How many around us have followed their passion like the way he has done? The answers to these questions make him what he is today.

A few years from now, he will bow out of the arena and all of us will stand on that particular day and say – A PART OF MY LIFE IS OVER because before this generation became the Facebook generation it was an era owned by him and still does for most of us. But let us not worry about that day because today technology gives us a chance to revisit the past with one click umpteen number of times.

In an interview with ESPN in mid 1990s he had once said –“Convert your passion into profession.”
I will not pick his top 5 innings because every time he faces a ball, he gives all of us a reason to feel happy but instead I will share the link which gives a list of all the 442 ODI matches he has played so far

http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/35320.html?class=2;template=results;type=allround;view=match

25th February 2010

Sheffield