A look back at Sachin Tendulkar’s Majboot Jod with Mumbai Indians

45 years ago on 24th April in the city of Mumbai or Bombay, as it was called then, a baby’s cries rang around Nirmal Nursing Home. Who would have known that the child behind this cry would spread such joy across the world, not just Mumbai for years to come. It was decided that the baby would be named Sachin Tendulkar – a name that would become synonymous with not just Mumbai or Indian, but World cricket since 1989.

Young Sachin was a typical Mumbai child, juggling between playing local cricket in Bandra and going to school in Bandra and Dadar throughout his childhood. It was at age 14 when his talent was recognized at the MRF Pace Academy and upon receiving advice from Dennis Lillee, the youngster shifted his focus to batting.

This switch brought him laurels as he went from strength to strength and smashing a century in his debut match for Bombay. This helped him getting selected for the Indian cricket team, who were on the lookout for a replacement for Sunil Gavaskar. The similarities between the two were uncanny – the built, origins, and batting style. Once he was picked in the Indian national team, there was no looking back for Sachin, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Majboot Jod with Mumbai Indians

“Sachiiiiiiiin, Sachiiiiiiiiiiiin! Sachiiiiiiin, Sachiiiiiiiiiiiin!”

This chant has reverberated in all corners of the world by cricket lovers, but Mumbai is the only place Sachin calls home, the place where he has received the most love. And it is this love which made the decision of joining Mumbai Indians an easy one for the Master Blaster, when the IPL was incepted.

Sachin Tendulkar played for Mumbai Indians for 5 Seasons — Sachin Tendulkar played for Mumbai Indians for 6 Seasons

For the fans of Mumbai Indians, it was a dream that came true. Having seen their local boy make the city proud all across the world, it was perhaps written in history that he would return to his roots and don the local colours in the biggest T20 competition in the world.

Since the IPL began with the rule of having a local star player become the icon player of the same state franchise, Sachin Tendulkar was made the icon player of Mumbai Indians. He went on to represent the Mumbai Indians for six seasons in the Indian Premier League and five seasons in the Champions League T20.

His best season in the Indian Premier League was in 2010, when he made 618 runs in 14 innings. When the likes of his former team-mates, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman were failing, he showed that time had no bearing on him and he continued unleashing his fury on the bowlers.

In total, he played 78 innings for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League and scored a mammoth 2334 runs at an average of 33.83. He also had a moderately good strike-rate of 119.82 for his team. And on top of that, he won the tournament in his final playing year.

Sachin’s second innings

But that wasn’t the end of the marriage of Sachin Tendulkar and Mumbai Indians.

After his retirement from playing for the Mumbai Indians, he automatically became the mentor of the team. He continued spreading his influence over the team, helping them win the IPL twice through a very different role – as a mentor and spectator from the dugout. His presence in the dugout alone is a motivation for the players in the team. This is where he holds a special bond with the Mumbai Indians.

Other legends from the same era like Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly had to change teams from their original states, but Sachin was, is and, always will be Mumbai Indians through and through.

First as a player and now as a mentor, his bonding with Mumbai Indians and the city of Mumbai is like that of Fevicol – absolutely unbreakable!