What’s the story?
Iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar has shared his words of wisdom for the Indian team which is gearing up to defend its Champions Trophy title. Insisting that the focus should not be on individuals, he called on Virat Kohli’s side to play as a unit in order to achieve tournament success. When asked about the next Tendulkar, the 44-year old backed his successor to carve his own identity.
“I don't think there will be another Sachin, it will be another individual. I believe teams win championships. No individual can win championships. I think it's always the team and if you see 2011 (World Cup), it was the entire team which was in form. Different players performed at different stages”, Tendulkar told India Today.
On his eagerly anticipated biopic 'Sachin: A Billion Dreams', he quipped, “To go back 24 years – right from my first game to the last game – that is just one chapter in this movie. My childhood, how I started playing cricket, those memories are special. The biopic will show things that no one else had access to before.
“The audience will get to see my romance with Anjali (Tendulkar). How I met my wife and how we took it forward is (also) part of the film.”
In the past...
During the 2011 World Cup, India had as many as four batsmen in the list of top ten run-scorers in the tournament. In the bowling department, eight team members had economy rates less than six runs per over. The versatile efforts from numerous players were instrumental in MS Dhoni’s team lifting the coveted trophy.
The heart of the matter
Tendulkar’s use of example to highlight the value of team work remains spot on. The 2011 World Cup triumph was not built on a few individuals but on the sustained contributions from almost everyone within the Indian camp.
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With India possessing an experienced squad for the Champions Trophy, the onus will be on Kohli to bring all his troops together and extract game-changing performances from various quarters. Some of the big names who featured in the 2011 World Cup and are set to take part in the upcoming 50-overs tournament include skipper Kohli, Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin.
What’s next?
India begin their Champions Trophy campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan at Edgbaston on June 4. They then take on Sri Lanka at The Oval on the 8th and South Africa also at the same venue on the 11th.
Author’s Take
Needless to say, there won’t be another Tendulkar. Be it Kohli or Ajinkya Rahane, it is imperative for the present day stars to carve their own niche and become the best players they can possibly aim to be.
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