IPL-4 Photos:Sachin Telndulkar during his match against Rajasthan..

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Photos:Sachin Tendulkar during sree satya saibaba's funeral.

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Tendulkar's son gave him a big hug‎

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Hyderabad: Sachin Tendulkar's 38th birthday will be etched in memory forever. Probably, the greatest moment of the day came when Tendulkar's son Arjun walked past the boundary rope and gave his father a big hug. After that, the little master looked at the crowd and waved. But even in that gesture, there was some evident sadness.

When Ravi Shastri asked him at the presentation ceremony if he was going to enjoy the five-day break between matches, an exhausted Tendulkar, who was desperately trying to smile, said: "If you ask me as a 38-year old, I am happy to have breaks, maybe not a 19-year old." That remark summed up his frame of mind.

Later in the day, when Tendulkar stepped out of the player enclosure, he didn't find any media presence, but found hundreds of fans who had powered their way past cops. One fan dived towards Tendulkar to touch his feet. Just then, a police officer caught hold of the fan and threatened to hit him. At that moment, Tendulkar looked like a defeated man. He tried to smile for some fans that shot a photograph with him, but to no luck.

When MiD DAY visited the team hotel on the morning of the game, Tendulkar's room had a big placard outside which read 'Do Not Disturb' in block letters. There was some doubt on the eve of the match if Tendulkar would play the game, but he left for the ground along with the rest of his teammates at 14:00 hrs.

The hotel staff said that Tendulkar was not spotted anywhere in the hotel on Saturday evening or Sunday morning. It is learnt that none of Tendulkar's teammates planned anything special for him due to the death of Sathya Sai Baba. Even Hyderabad CA officials, who were queuing up to invite Tendulkar to a cake-cutting ceremony, hesitated to approach the Mumbai skipper.
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Sachin shouldn't retire: Lata Mangeshkar

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Legendary singer Lata wishes happy birthday to the Master Blaster and discusses cricket.

Legendary singer and cricket buff Lata Mangeshkar has been a self proclaimed Sachin Tendulkar fan for a long time now. Today when the Master Blaster turns thirty-eight, India's nightingale who considers Sachin like her son wants the batting sensation to carry on his innings for many more years. In a freewheeling chat, Lata discusses her favorite player and yes....likens him to Dilip Kumar.

Do you call up and wish Sachin personally?
Actually I don't get the time to call him personally as 24 th also happens to be my father's death anniversary and we have a huge function in the evening. I am thoroughly caught up preparing for this. But my wishes and blessings are always with him. May he remain healthy and happy always.

Any specific wish for him?
Sachin shouldn't retire. Abhi waqt nahin aaya ... he has to give us a lot in cricket. He should rest and then get back to playing. His life is cricket and he cannot be happy anywhere. Look at me. I may have slowly stopped singing for movies, but I haven't stopped singing. And when he really feels that he cannot continue playing actively he should think of opening an academy to impart knowledge on cricket, both practically and theoretically.

If you have to dedicate a song to him which one would that be?
The evergreen birthday song by my sister Asha and Geeta Dutt... Tum jiyo hazaron saal ...Saal ke din hon pachas hazar .

Does he inspire you?
Why me, he inspires the world! His energy on the field is infectious. Feels like sheer magic! Unke khel mein ek thehrav hai. Unke har shot par nazar jaati hain . He is like Pt. Bhimsen Joshi and Bade Gulam Ali Saab. Their performances transport you to a different level....into a trance. You just listen to them quietly. Sachin evokes the same response when he is on the field. My brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar just goes `Wah Wah', when Sachin bats. He has got a fantastic rhythm.

From the current lot do you see another Sachin in the making?
Every cricketer is good in their own place. From the yesteryear cricketers I really loved Gary Sobers. But Sachin is Sachin. He is irreplaceable. Unse aur acche aa sakte hai, par unke jaise nahin. (There can be better player than Sachin but never like him.) He is like Dilip Kumar. There have been many good actors after Dilip Kumar, but till date there's not been another Dilip Kumar. Sachin is God's gift to us.

How many times have you met him?
Must be about 9-10 times only. Earlier I used to talk to him, but now with age I don't have the same energy.

Recall your first encounter with Sachin?
I remember it was during the match in Sharjah. I was there too. Someone told me to speak to him in Marathi if at all we get to meet. Honestly, I was little scared to meet him. I had this notion about cricketers that they are these up-class urban lot who are comfortable in English ways and talks. My apprehension was busted and he floored me with his simplicity and humble attitude and yes he spoke in pure Marathi.

Your last word for the Master Blaster.
Retain all your qualities and values that have been with you on your journey. Remain the gentle soul you are and sorted out on your head, the way you have always been.
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What is birthday boy Sachin Tendulkar up to?

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When cricketer Sachin Tendulkar turns a year older, the entire country wants to celebrate. And it’s no surprise that the cricketer, who’s flying from Hyderabad to Jaipur today, had the cricketing fraternity and the South Indian film industry apparently celebrating it in a big way. But Sachin, who turned 38, wishes he was in Mumbai doing his regular birthday things with his family.

“I will miss being with mom on my birthday,” the icon apparently told a close friend. The friend also reveals that Sachin is a big Ganpati devotee, and always seeks His blessings at the Siddhivinayak on his birthday.

But whether he’s in Mumbai or not, his birthday has got his friends in a frenzy to gift him presents. Buzz has it thata few among them are hunting for his favourite Balenciaga perfume, a 10-year-old limited edition.

Another of his favourite activity is to relax and bond over films with his family. “I watch light-hearted Bollywood movies to relieve stress,”says Sachin. And what are his favourite films? “Sholay, Lagaan and Chak De India,” he promptly answers, adding that his favourite actors are “Madhuri Dixit and Amitabh Bachchan.”The cricketer, given his popularity, finds it hard to go to a theatre and enjoy a film, so he watches movies at home.

So has he ever got film offers? “Yes, but when I was offered, I could only think of cricket,” says Sachin, adding that he’s not averse to doing films in the future.
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Sachin Tendulkar's 38 memorable moments

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Mumbai: As Sachin Tendulkar turns 38 on Sunday, here is the list of the 38 defining moments after his 2010 birthday.

1. April 25

Scores 48 for Mumbai Indians in the IPL2010 final against Chennai Super Kings, but ends up on the losing side.

2. May 4

Joins Twitter, the online social platform. Within a day, he has more than 85,000 followers.

3. July 23

Clarifies that there is no truth in his blood being a part of the book, 'Tendulkar Opus' which will be released in time for the 2011 World Cup.

4.July 29

Scores his fifth double century to bail India out against Sri Lanka at Colombo (SSC) after fielding for two days.

5.August 3

Becomes the most capped player in Test history at Colombo (PSS), surpassing Steve Waugh's tally of 168 matches.

6.August 14

20th anniversary of his first Test ton versus England at Old Trafford in 1990 this day. The champagne bottle that he received as man of the match was opened in 1998 for his daughter Sara's first birthday, he reveals.

7.September 3

Becomes honorary group captain of the Indian Air Force (IAF) for his contribution
to cricket. (pic above)

8.September 20

Becomes the only player to get shortlisted in all three major categories (cricketer of the year, Test player of the year & ODI player of the year) for the seventh annual
ICC awards.

9.October 3

Becomes first batsman to aggregate 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year on SIX occasions, moving ahead of Brian Lara, Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting, who have done this five times each.

10.October 6

Won his first ICC award - the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy - by being named the Cricketer of the Year during the ICC award ceremony in Bangalore.

11.October 10

Becomes first batsman to aggregate 14,000 runs in Test cricket (vs Australia at Bangalore).

12.October 11

Scores his sixth Test hundred in the year 2010 - most for an Indian in a calendar year.

13.October 11

Reaches his hundred against Australia at Bangalore with a six off Nathan Hauritz - for the fifth time he was performing the feat of scoring a hundred with a six - most by any batsman in Tests surpassing Englishman Ken Barrington's tally of four
such instances.

14.October 11

Becomes first batsman to complete 6,000 international runs (Tests + ODIs+ T20Is) against one particular country (Australia).

15.October 14

Claims top spot in ICC Test rankings for the first time since 2002.

16.December 19

Becomes first batsman to score 50 Test centuries (vs South Africa at Centurion).

17.December 29

Witnesses his second Test match win in South Africa, when India beats South Africa on the fourth day by 87 runs at Kingsmead, Durban.

18.December 29

Ends the year 2010 with an aggregate of 1,562 runs in Test cricket - the highest tally for an Indian batsman in a calendar year in Test cricket.

19.January 4

Scores 146 at Cape Town helping India to a draw - their first- series on South African soil.

20.January 12

Becomes the player with longest career span in ODIs at Durban, surpassing Pakistan's Javed Miandad' career span of 20 years 273 days.

21.February 19

Becomes most capped player in ODIs in the World Cup opening game v/s Bangladesh,
surpassing Sanath Jayasuriya's tally of 444 matches.

22.February 19

Becomes only the second player to appear in SIX World Cups after Pakistan's Javed Miandad.

23.February 27

Scores 120 off 115 balls in India's total of 338 against England in a World Cup match

24.February 27

Later that night, his century does not end up being a match-winning one as the game ends in a tie.

25.March 9

Becomes first player to score 2,000 runs in WC in the match against Netherlands.

26.March 12

Scores 111 off 101 balls in India's total of 338 against South Africa at Bangalore in a World Cup match.

27.March 12

Crosses 2,000 ODI runs against South Africa. Reportedly, reads the riot act in the dressing room as India collapse to defeat.

28.March 24

Scores 53 off 68 balls in the World Cup quarter-final against Australia at Ahmedabad.

29.March 24

Becomes first batsman to aggregate 18,000 runs in ODIs.

30.March 24

Scores 94th ODI half century, 14th in World Cups.

31.March 30

Top scores with 85 runs in the World Cup semi-final game against Pakistan at Mohali.

32.April 2

Finally, after five editions, he experiences a World Cup triumph. He gets carried by teammates after India beat Sri Lanka at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium in the World Cup final.

33.April 4

Tells MiD DAY in an interview that the dream of winning the 2011 World Cup started
after the 2007 disaster.

34.April 13

The 148th edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, regarded as the bible of cricket, names Sachin Tendulkar as the leading cricketer in the world for the year 2010.

35.April 15

Scores his maiden hundred in Twenty20 cricket - unbeaten 100 off 66 balls against Kochi Tuskers Kerala at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.

36.April 20

Hits the 1 million-follower mark on Twitter. Only Indian celeb to do so.

37.April 22

Enjoys the satisfaction of beating Chennai Super Kings, captained by MS Dhoni in the IPL league match in Mumbai.

38.April 23

Tendulkar, an ardent devotee of the 85-year-old Sathya Sai Baba prays for his quick recovery.
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Lets wish the god’s fellow (Sachin Tendulkar) a Happy Birthday…..

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Today is the Birthday of our Beloved Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar. We wish him all the happiness and success in his life and pray to god to fulfill his each and every Dream.
This time Sachin decides not to celebrate his birthday and this might be his saddest one because we lost Shree Satya Saibaba today. Sachin is one of his devotees. Though saibaba has passed away, may his blessings always remain with Sachin and all of us.
Sachin is born to play cricket and make India proud.

Lets wish the god’s fellow a Happy Birthday…..
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Sachin Tendulkar inspires a film?

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Sachin Tendulkar

The central idea of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 'Ferrari Ki Sawari' seems to be written keeping Sachin Tendulkar in mind.

There are two things that Indians are crazy about – cricket and films. Imagine what happens if the best of two come together. News is doing the round since quite some months that Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar might star in a Bollywood film. The film in question is Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Ferrari Ki Sawari starring Sharman Joshi that has recently went on floors.

In this heartwarming tale of unconditional love between father and son, the pursuit of an Indian cricket legend's Ferrari makes a young boy's dreams of playing cricket at Lords a reality. Sachin Tendulkar undoubtedly is a cricket legend and also owns a Ferrari. In fact it seems like the script was written keeping Tendulkar in mind. Though the makers have still not confirmed whether Sachin Tendulkar will make a cameo (as himself) in the film, one thing is for sure – the glory of the cricketer has inspired Bollywood to weave a plot around him.

The fact that Sachin Tendulkar is a close friend of Vidhu Vinod Chopra and was also invited for a special screening of 3 Idiots doesn't rule out the possibility that he might make an appearance in Ferrari Ki Sawari . In fact last year Tendulkar also tweeted on this particular film saying, "Vinod Chopra has a script called 'Ferrari Ki Sawari'. Just heard it. Sounds awesome."

So far, Sachin Tendulkar has made an appearance in only one Bollywood film – ' Vignaharta Shree Siddhivinayak ' directed by Yashwant Ingavale, where he played himself.

We wish he actually makes his foray into the film world. This would be the best birthday gift that Bollywood can give to the cricketer.

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Sachin Tendulkar may not also play in Sunday`s game against the Deccan Chargers Hyderabad.

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Zeecric Bureau

Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkar may not celebrate his 38th birthday on Sunday owing to the critical condition of Sri Satya Sai Baba. Sachin is an ardent follower of Satya Sai baba. It was earlier planned that his birthday bash would take place on Saturday, but now it in not going to happen at all.

Sachin Tendulkar may not also play in Sunday`s game against the Deccan Chargers Hyderabad. Sachin Tendulkar has also tweeted, asking his fans to pray for the well being of Satya Sai baba.

The condition of Sri Sathya Sai Baba continues to remain very critical and he is in the ICU and undergoing treatment as he is suffering from multi-organ dysfunction
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Our fielding was just spectacular: Sachin

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Mumbai: Mumbai Indians continued their unflinching performance to eke out an eight-run win over Chennai Super Kings, here, on Friday. Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Mumbai skipper Sachin Tendulkar attributed the team’s victory to their brilliant fielding and catching. The following are excerpts Sachin Tendulkar: I think the fielding was unbelievable. The boys took some brilliant catches and the ground fielding was also superb. We saved a lot of runs and that’s what created pressure. Maybe, we were 10 or 15 runs short after we finished at 164… But I was talking to Rohit (Sharma), who batted brilliantly, and he said that 160 odd runs is a defendable total if we field well and hold on to our catches… Malinga’s second spell was crucial. The plan was to bowl a bouncer… It was conveyed to him and to win this game we had to get Mike Hussey out. If he had batted till the end then possibly the result would have been different. We had to go for wickets and Malinga and Pollard’s combination was brilliant. Mahendra Singh Dhoni: I think 164 was very much gettable because the wicket was really nice. Fielding was the only difference I think between the two sides. They took two catches that really mattered and we backed out of two catches that bailed them out. Happy with our performance, but fielding could have been just a little better. The last few overs were really well that helped us restrict Mumbai to 164. We were short of two bowlers. So, it became tough to manage because we didn’t have too many part-timers today. Harbhajan Singh (Man of the Match): I am glad that things worked out today. I think, overall, we played very good cricket and we fielded brilliantly. That was the best thing about our game. On the whole, we played better cricket than Chennai and we deserve to win. Chennai is a very strong side in this competition and we all know that. Taking Suresh Raina’s wicket early on was important and after that we focused on getting the net run rate up.

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Sachin interacts with physically challenged soldiers

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Mumbai: His ongoing Indian Premier League duty prevented Sachin Tendulkar from accepting a request for a personal meeting with a large group of wheel-chair bound soldiers in Pune, but the champion batsman interacted with them via a video conference on Friday, prior to his 38th birthday on Sunday.

"Respectful greetings, my dear soldier brethren; I have learned to take up responsibility and fight till the end from you people," the batting maestro, who is an honorary Air Force Group captain, told the soldiers during his interaction from Mumbai, according to sources close to him.

The 80-odd soldiers are undergoing rehabilitation at the paraplegic centre in Pune's Khadki cantonment area and are wheel-chair bound. Some of them are paralysed neck-down and some others waist-down.

The lot wanted to meet the icon cricketer personally, but that wasn't possible immediately as Tendulkar is busy leading Mumbai Indians in the fourth edition of IPL. In fact, the legend wouldn't be at home on his 38th birthday as he will be travelling to Hyderabad for their match

against Deccan Chargers. Tendulkar had promised the soldiers that he would be visiting them in Pune whenever he would get a bit of time from his busy cricketing commitments.

"I would like to play table tennis with you and would like to learn to play basketball when I come to meet you," he told the soldiers during the video conference.

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IPL-4 Photos:Sachin Telndulkar during his match against Pune.

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Sachin's achievements can't be measured by one award: Bhupathi

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With the growing demand that Sachin Tendulkar should be bestowed with Bharat Ratna, tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi on Tuesday said the cricket maestro is above all these awards.

Here in the city with wife Lara Dutta, Bhupathi said, "He is too great a person for awards. Awards come and go, that's secondary. It will not reflect his contribution to the Indian cricket."

When the doubles ace was quizzed on what keeps him going at the age of 36, he answered that he and Leander Paes still have the insatiable hunger to win.

"Our motivation is to win. We still enjoy winning... as long as the hunger there no title is out of your reach," said the winner of 11 Grand Slam titles.

Bhupathi said he along with Paes are now looking forward to Madrid Open beginning in May.

"Then we have a tournament in Rome a week later. Our preparation is going good and we are looking forward on fitness."

Asked about their goals together with Olympics next year, Bhupathi said, "Let's get ourselves picked first. Then we can think of going ahead."

He also had words of praise for Somdev Devvarman and Sania Mirza.

"Somdev is young. He has already made into the top 100 (71). At this level, he is extremely talented. We can't really put a number on him. He needs to continue with the way he is performing."

On her protege Sania, Bhupathi said, "She is doing well in singles also. I am sure her rankings will improve with more Grand Slam appearances."

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Hyderabad gets ready for Tendulkar's birthday bash

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Hyderabadis could not have asked for more. With another Indian Premier League (IPL) match scheduled in Hyderabad on Sunday, Uppal stadium is all set to host not only a major IPL Match,Mumbai Indian (MI) vs Deccan Chargers (DC), but also the countrys cricket sensation Sachin Tendulkar on his birthday on the same day.

Frenzied cricket fans have ensured that not a single seat of the huge Uppal stadium is currently available with the tickets sold out a week prior to the match. This will be the fourth time that the stadium would be packed to capacity (in a match not involvingIndia).

The first IPL for which Uppal stadium was chock-a-block was when Hyderabadis thronged to catch Sachin in action when MI played DC in 2008, the second houseful show was when Saurav Ganguly and Shoaib Akhtar pulled the crowds when Kolkata Knight Riders played against DC (again 2008) and the third time when the Chennai Super Kings captain and reigning superstar M S Dhoni played against the Hyderabad team the same year. Looks like its going to be a big bash at Uppal this Sunday.

Fair loo service : Speaking of the IPL, here's an intriguing anecdote shared by a spectator at the Uppal stadium of just how smitten we still are with fair skin. During last Saturdays match, a foreign couple went around looking for the washroom and when they found one, it turned out to be a men's loo, the ladies washroom located on the second floor. So, while the man took his loo break, our lady too requested the guards to be allowed to use the facility. Lo and behold, not only was she allowed to use the loo, the guards even ensured that nobody entered the mens washroom as long as the lady was inside. Now, there is nothing wrong with a little chivalry, but a curious spectator asked the guard if an Indian woman would have been given the same royal loo treatment. Well, at least the guards were honest as they mumbled a shy No. Guess they were only taking the atithi devo bhava concept a tad too seriously, or were they?

Turbulent times : Now enough has been written about fake pilots and how travellers are turning extremely suspicious of men in the cockpit. And the result of this unholy suspicion has led to air-hostesses arming themselves with more than snacks and beverages as they go around fielding questions from curious/worried passengers on pilots manning the aircraft, including their work experience, number of hours of flying apart from, of course, their designations. So after budget airlines turned the aircraft crew into vendors, as they went around selling coffees, teas and cashew nuts, the fake pilot scam has resulted in them hardselling not just sandwiches, but also bio-datas of the pilots. Travellers share that mid-air jerks and turbulence are hastily being equated with the pilots experience (or the lack of it). In one instance, a Hyderabad-bound much turbulent Sunday flight had passengers demanding to see the pilots experience certificate and even raised questions on his familiarity with various domestic sectors. Fielding all these queries were hassled crew who took great pains to explain the turbulence was due to poor weather and not of the pilots doing. The fake pilot scam may become old news after some time, but these are surely turbulent times for airline staff that has turned into a mid-air crisis management crew.

Beating the ban : For every government rule, there are a dozen ways of breaking or manoeuvring your way around them or so has been established repeatedly by the brainy citizens of the country. Turning no-parking zones into packed parking lots or the ban on public smoking going up in smoke are only minor examples of how things work despite a ban/prohibition. So it is hardly surprising that the citys junior college managements have found a way to beat the no summer classes diktat of the state government. The student-friendly policy to ensure young minds get some rest during the harsh summer months has not really yielded a relaxed vacation as summer classes have moved discreetly to districts. Parents are now renting out houses to put up their children for the vacations so that they can go for the all-important summer coaching. While the government rule applies to even districts, college managements share how vigilance in non-Hyderabad centres is not as strict as in the capital. And if its business as usual for junior colleges this summer, guess who is the unlikely beneficiary of this rule-bender? House owners in districts who are busy letting out rooms for quick bucks this summer.

Once a superstar, always a superstar : In politics, they say, there is no age for retirement and that is rather obvious in mana state or even the country with the grey-haired outnumbering the younger lot in great numbers. But it appears that even in tinsel town there is no age for actors to superannuate. And we arent really talking about Amitabh Bachchan here but many yesteryear actors who ensure they hold on to the superstardom halo they once enjoyed. Awards and titles keep the spotlight on them. A recent award ceremony had Vijayashanti win the silver screen empress honour, which was a tad strange because she is clearly nowhere among the reigning divas of today. With Secunderabad MLA Jayasudha too winning an outstanding artiste award, it possibly wasnt just films that won the two ladies the honours; the actors themselves ensure they remain star-like. So, a big fan of a long forgotten superstar narrates writing endless letters to the out-of-work actor with a simple request an autograph. Endless calls to his office, his secretary and even his driver yielded no result and the fan is still awaiting a scribble on a piece of paper.
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Sachin Tendulkar is already a Bharat Ratna: Abhishek Bachchan

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Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan today said that Sachin Tendulkar is already a "Bharat Ratna" to the people of the country going by his achievements in the cricket.

When asked whether the government should confer the highest civilian honour on the legendary cricketer, Abhishek said, "Tendulkar is already a 'Bharat Ratna' going by the admiration he has got from all Indians for his achievements in the cricket field."

Stating that that he does not know the criterion of the government for conferring the honour, junior Bachchan regretted that he was not the one who could decide whether his fellow Mumbaikar should receive it.

The 35-year-old actor was in the state capital to promote his upcoming release 'Dum Maro Dum'.

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1500 ft Birthday Gift For Sachin Tendulkar.

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At a time when Indians across the globe are celebrating country's victory in the recently culminated cricket world cup in their own styles, an Allahabadi artist, Rajkumar Chitera, has come forth with a unique idea to pay tribute to legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, by making a 1500 ft long painting, show casing every aspect of his life.

"This is going to be the largest painting ever made covering every aspect of the master-blaster's life, who has become a legend today in the game of cricket," Rajkumar informs and further adds, "From his parent's pictures (as they have always been the guiding force in his life) to childhood moments including the ones spent at the field, I plan to incorporate everything in this huge painting. Moreover, the painting will also depict Indian team's tryst with other teams at the World Cup 2011, where our team India fought really hard for the victory."

However, what is unique about this painting is the fact that the artist promises to complete it in record 39 hours. "I will start my painting on the 22nd of April and would complete it in 39 hours on 24th of April, the day master blaster would celebrate his birthday and turn 38. This painting will not only be a tribute to him for having played 6 world cups, but also a birthday gift from my side."

The venue, where this painting will be made is city's Chandra Shekhar Park. Rajkumar chitera is a renowned artist, who has also made many sand sculptors of various personalities of the country earlier on the banks of Sangam. The artist is also planning to put this colossal painting on display later at the gateway of India, Mumbai.
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Sachin should get Bharat Ratna: Jyotiraditya Scindia.

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Guna (MP), Apr 16 (PTI) Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jyotiraditya Scindia, today said that cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar should get Bharat Ratna. "In view of his contribution to the sport, Tendulkar should be honoured with the Bharat Ratna," said Scindia, who is also the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) President, here. The Minister arrived in his constituency (Guna) on a two-day tour last night after taking part in a party rally at Bhopal.
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Maken bats for inclusion of sports in Bharat Ratna criteria.

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Sports Minister Ajay Maken today said that his ministry would ask the Home Ministry to include sports in the criteria for Bharat Ratna, after calls for bestowing Sachin Tendulkar with the coveted award got louder following India’s World Cup triumph.

“Bharat Ratna is given only to those who have done eminent work in the field of art, literature, social service, science and technology but sports is not included in it.

The Sports Ministry now wants to include sports also,” Mr. Maken told reporters.

“And now that we want India to do well in Olympics and other international events, the sportspersons must also be considered for this honour. And if any sportsperson gets Bharat Ratna it would be a matter of pride for all the Indians. We will take up this issue with the Home Ministry,” he said.

However, the government has already stated that bestowing ’Bharat Ratna’ to sportspersons would require tweaking of criteria that has been laid down for the country’s highest civilian honour.

The ‘Bharat Ratna’ was started in 1954 and has so far been given to 41 eminent personalities, none of whom are sportspersons, the reason being the criteria for the coveted honour.

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IPL-4 Video:Sachin Tendulkar's 1st IPL Century Against Kochi.

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IPL- 4 Photos: Sachin Tendulkar' s 1st IPL Century vs Kochi.

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Tendulkar fined for MI's slow over rate

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As if the loss to IPL debutants Kochi Tuskers Kerala was not enough, Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar was fined USD 20,000 for maintaining a slow over-rate during the match here.

"The IPL today advised that the Mumbai Indians have been fined for maintaining a slow over rate during last night's DLF IPL match against Kochi Tuskers Kerala in Mumbai," said a statement which did not specify the amount that the team has been docked. "At the end of the match, Mumbai Indians were assessed to be one over behind the required rate after allowances were taken into consideration. "Since it was Mumbai Indians first fence of the season, under the IPL's Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, the captain, Sachin Tendulkar, was fined USD 20,000," it added. Mumbai went down by eight wickets against Kochi despite Tendulkar's maiden Twenty20 century last night.

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IPL-4: Poor fielding let us down against Kochi Tuskers: Tendulkar

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MUMBAI: Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar expressed his disappointment over fielding of his team, and hoped to improve in the forthcoming matches of the Indian Premier League .

Despite a century by Tendulkar, Kochi Tuskers beat Mumbai Indians by eight wickets after chasing down their big total of 182 runs at Wankhede Stadium.

Recounting the mistakes of his players in the match, Tendulkar said the rival team fielded comparatively better than them.

"There is a long way to go in this tournament. We are disappointed little bit but these ups and downs are going to be there in this format. However much you plan but you still need to do certain things there spontaneously and not to forget that the opposition was also here to win so they fielded better. I thought bowling and batting possibly we matched each other but in fielding department they were possibly better," said Tendulkar.

He also said in 20-20 format a single mistake counts which can change the fate of the game.

Lasith Malinga gave the home team a flicker of hope by clean-bowling Jayawardene and McCullum in his second spell. But the Tuskers had sufficient fire-power in the form of left-hander Ravindra Jadeja and Brad Hodge .

"I thought if we had hit the right areas, I felt at times we didn't manage to hit the right areas while bowling and those important catches McCullum was dropped in the first ball itself so these things happen in cricket and that's why we say catches win matches," added Tendulkar.

Sachin made 100 runs with 12 fours, three sixes, six doubles, 22 singles to take the score to 182 in 20 overs for Mumbai Indians.

Mahela Jayawardene, captain of the Kochi Tuskers Kerala team said the win was a team effort as the players performed well under pressure and contributed equally.

The KTK chased down an imposing 182-2, set by Mumbai Indians, to open their account in the tournament.

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What's Sachin Tendulkar off the field?

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When he's not out on the field punishing the other team for leaving home, Sachin Tendulkar's interests have very little to do with the game of cricket. CNBC-TV18's Tanvi Shukla reports on what makes this god of cricket really tick.

With the world cup victory, Sachin Tendulkar has reinforced his mark in sporting history but this hero of Indian cricket was inspired by a villain. "That character Gabbar had an impact," he said.

Such an impact, that Sachin even dressed up as Gabbar during a team-building exercise. So is this form of entertainment something he'd like to pursue?

"I have been offered many times, but whenever that has happened, I have only thought about cricket and nothing else. Even last year something happened but I haven’t really thought about it," he said.

Clearly, he's more than happy just watching movies. "I must have watch Sholay a number of time. I enjoy watching light-hearted movies like 3 idiots, Hera Pheri, Munna Bhai, where you can start from anywhere and you still enjoy it," Sachin said.

Of course, sports' movies like Lagaan, Chak De and Rocky rank among his all-time favorites, but only as motivational tools. So would he watch a movie on India's Worldcup victory? "I've never thought about that," he said. "The whole experience of lifting the trophy was incredible. It is something you always dream about and when it happens, you don’t know how to react. All the players had happy tears in the middle and it is something that never happened to the team. It was a very touching moment for all of us," the god of cricket iterates.

And to deal with the stress that comes of being an Indian cricketer, Sachin says he prefers music. "The song that I have recently been listening to a lot is Where the Streets Have No Name by U2."

But these are just temporary escape routes. For Sachin everything is around cricket. "If anything else threatens to become a distraction then I avoid that. Your whole existence is about cricket so nothing should distract you from that," he added.

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was always fascinated by Kapil Dev and Sachin :Valthaty

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Chandigarh: Paul Valthaty would have had little idea that his life would change overnight after his breathtaking show against the Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday. The 27-year-old however doesn't want to bask in the glory of a singular performance and would like to carry on the good work.

"I will try not to get too overwhelmed by the success. I will try to see that my feet is firmly rooted," Valthaty said.

Treating himself as a "normal cricketer" from Mumbai who has faced struggle in his career, Valthaty while talking about his gem of an innings at Mohali last night, said,"This is just a small step that I have taken."

"Wearing India cap always remains a cricketer's ultimate dream, but I know there is a long journey ahead and I have just taken a small step (to realise that dream)," Valthaty told PTI in an interview here today.

Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev have been his childhood idols.

"I was always fascinated by Kapil Dev and Sachin and had a great liking for the sport from my childhood. My father used to push me a lot to play cricket," he said.

Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Indian skipper M S Dhoni and other top cricketers like Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh in the IPL is like a dream come true, feels Valthaty.

"I will have to pinch myself," he said when asked how would he feel if one day he finds batting along side Tendulkar at the other end.

"It's every cricketer's dream to play besides the master," he said.

The Mumbaikar has no first-class experience and till date has played only one List A match for Mumbai way back in 2006 while featuring in just 12 T20s.

Valthaty made his first foray in former India great Dilip Vengsarkar's academy in Mumbai. He was later picked for India U-19 squad with the likes of Irfan Pathan and Parthiv Patel that went to New Zealand for the 2002 World Cup, where he played a game against Bangladesh.

"I started my cricket 10-12 years ago and I have played ODIs and T20s for Mumbai. It was in New Zealand that I suffered an eye injury which kept me out of action for over a year," he said.

About his eye injury that could have brought an abrupt end to his career, Valthaty takes it in his stride.

"Injuries are part and parcel of a cricketer's life. I kept working hard knowing that my day will come. Yesterday was the day I have been waiting for."

While Valthaty's father is an engineer and mother a doctor, he said that it was his father who initiated him into the sport.

"My father used to push me a lot to play cricket. He is a great enthusiast of the sport. My mother too supported me. I have always got great support from my family and friends, who have been behind me through thick and thin which has motivated me to do well. Motivation has never been a problem," he said.

Valthaty said that he would like KXIP to do well in the tournament.

"We have a great captain (Adam Gilchrist). He is a good leader. We play the next game in Hyderabad and would like to win there as well. It is important for the team to do well, with a long tournament ahead," he said.

Kings XI coach Michael Bevan also heaped praise on the youngster for sterling display.

"He (Valthaty) played a high quality knock, an amazing knock. We really needed such a knock. His placement, power was terrific. He is a talented batsman, who strikes the ball beautifully," Bevan said.

He said Valthaty was a quiet character and reserved person, who likes to keep to himself, but was a good human being.

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Sachin, the movie buff

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Sachin Tendulkar has been persuaded to become a serious movie buff. The legendary Indian cricketer has been provided an opportunity to see with his family, friends and in the comfort of his home, virtually all movies produced and distributed in India through the UFO Moviez network. He will have access to all titles from the day it's released.

After leading Mumbai Indians to victory in the IPL VI against Royal Challengers at Bangalore on Tuesday, the World Cup hero flew to Mumbai by a private jet the same night and kept a commitment here on Wednesday to accept the Honorary Lifetime membership of Club X, a division of Valuable Group and parent company of UFO Moviez. UTV has also offered him a one-year free access to all films produced under its banner.

Membership to the Club X is by invitation. Now Tendulkar is part of the elite drawn from a cross section of the rich and famous. He signed the membership in the presence of Sanjay Gaikwad, MD and Founder, Valuable Group, and Ameya Hete, Executive Director. Valuable Group.

Tendulkar will turn 38 on April 24, and for nearly 25 years he has now allowed the game of cricket to be far removed from his almost everyday routine. Right from the time as a skinny lad he rode pillion on his coach Ramakant Achrekar's scooter to play more than a match in a single day to get accustomed to batting and till now, he's played the game with abiding passion and following his immense success has become the darling of the nation.

Not that he was disinterested in other activities including snatching time to see movies in a cinema hall; according to Marcus Couto, a BCCI panel umpire and close friend of Tendulkar for two and half decades, the budding batsman of the 1980s liked entertainment in the form of movies. “Probably Guide was the first movie I saw and that's with the entire family,” he said, adding that he doesn't remember the hits from Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman film.

Over a period of time, Tendulkar developed more than ordinary interest to see films in English, Hindi and Marathi. Here are the excerpts from a media conference:

Did you see any film during the World Cup (from Feb 19 to April 2) ?

I and the team was not reading newspapers or anything related to cricket. I was actually watching movies on television. We needed some time away from cricket so that we could keep our minds fresh. So we used to see Discovery or National Geographic channels that had nothing to do with sport. For light entertainment, I used to see movie channels. I did see a lot of Hindi movies, but nothing new that I can recollect. These were old movies which I had seen and it was easy to link with the script. We have power nap in the afternoon after the morning practice session and I used to see Hindi movies and fall asleep for a while before hitting the gym. I heavily rely on music as well for light entertainment; music is constant at my home and hotel room.

Were you at anytime a first-day-first-show man ?

Never. Well, now I have the opportunity; my friends have given me a reason to be a first-day-first-show man.

Have you ever seen promos and decided to see a particular movie ?

It helps having a few friends in the film circle. I get to see films before they are released; sometimes even the rough copies. That's nice. It's never planned though; it's just having a chat with friends and ask for it. I have seen almost all of Aamir Khan's movies.

Who is your best male and female actor ?

It's to be Amitabh Bacchan and Madhuri Dixit.

Who are the movie buffs in the Indian team ?

I think Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.

Have you ever been offered to act in a film?

Yes…. but whenever I was offered, I thought of cricket.

Your favourite sports movies?

It's got to be Lagaan and Chak Dey India and also Rocky; it's motivating.

Once you dressed yourself as Gabbar Singh; is that the character you chose or someone suggested that to you ?

I chose because I grew up watching Sholay. My favourite movie. The character of Gabbar Singh had left such a huge impact. So I wanted to take the opportunity and see how I looked.

Do you have any particular choice for films…like comedy, war, art etc?

I like light hearted movies. Serious movies take too much out of you.

The music you have liked the most?

Many songs, but if I have to single out one, then it's to be U2's “Where the streets have no name''. I have listened to that in the recent past quite a bit.

Is it difficult for celebrities to see movies in a cinema hall and hence such a facility (Club X membership) is welcome?

The experience of seeing movies in a theatre has not been bad. Well with this facility one can sit at home and watch a movie which is brilliant. This is a step above that.

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