Teachers' Day Special: The 'Dronacharya' to Sachin Tendulkar's 'Arjuna' - Ramakant Achrekar

Ramakant Achrekar with Sachin Tendulkar

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. – Henry Adams

This is exactly the kind of impact a teacher has on his wards. He is not just their trainer – he is much more than someone who imparts knowledge and wisdom to the young ones. It is the lessons of life that are key to a youngster’s development, and a teacher is the conduit for transferring them into impressionable minds.

India’s batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar would definitely agree.

The little genius spent his early cricketing years training under the watchful eye of Shri Ramakant Vithal Achrekar – a former club cricketer who, despite having immense talent as a batsman in Mumbai‘s local leagues, never quite made it to the first class cricket arena.

Sachin started off playing cricket with a rubber ball, but it was not until he turned 11 that his brother Ajit took him to Achrekar – a decision that had a huge bearing on not just Sachin, but cricket’s future.

At the time, the older man was officially appointed as coach at Shardashram Vidyamandir – a school where Sachin eventually enrolled on his advice. The logic behind Ajit Tendulkar’s decision was to curb his young half-brother’s mischievous and bullying tendencies, and Achrekar seemed to be the perfect answer to his dilemma.

The coach was impressed by his new ward’s precocious talent and asked him to switch schools in order to further his education in cricket.

The two would often spend hours at the nets in Shivaji Park – the hallowed grounds there have long churned out some of the best in the game. Achrekar would often take Sachin to different fields and made him play against different clubs in and around Mumbai. This enabled the young prodigy to cope with different conditions, various types of pitches and different types of bowling attacks too.

An interesting turn came in this guru-shishya relationship when Sachin joined a school friend at the Wankhede Stadium to cheer for his team as they played against Shardashram Vidya Mandir. Coincidentally, Achrekar Sir was there too. When asked how his ward had performed in the match, Sachin told him he was there to cheer for the team; he did not play in that game.

He received a tight slap (which he now affectionately describes as a late-cut), which sent his lunch-box sprawling on to the floor. The guru retorted, “You do not have to be here to cheer for others. Play in such a way that others cheer for you.”

The young lad, smarting from the blow, got the hint and practiced ferociously for hours. He worked relentlessly on his technique, and would run around the ground in full gear after practice even when he was tired.

Whenever Sachin would get tired after a long stint in the nets, the coach would place a one-rupee coin on the stumps. If he remained not out, the short-statured batsman would keep the coin; else, it would go to the bowler who dismissed him.

Quite often, the youngster ended up winning the silver piece, and now considers those thirteen coins as some of his most prized possessions – it is what taught him the real value of hard work.

Now at 40, and having achieved everything cricket had to offer, Sachin still seeks his childhood coach’s blessings and advice whenever he goes on tour.

Ramakant Achrekar

The frail, elderly teacher unfailingly obliges his most illustrious student, even though age has left its indelible mark on him. The master batsman looks upon his world-weary instructor as a mentor, a father figure and has always thought of him as an invaluable part of his family.

There’s an old saying that goes: Those who can’t do, teach. Perhaps Ramakant Achrekar could be counted as one of those talents who never quite got the opportunities they deserved. But as a teacher, he is second to none – he wasn’t awarded the Dronacharya award in 1990 for nothing.

When your pupils achieve the goals you have helped train them for, you feel an immeasurable amount of pride. That’s how the former club cricketer feels every time his most successful student churns out one fine performance after another.

In every sense, Achrekar Sir is the perfect Dronacharya to Sachin’s Arjuna. And on Teacher’s Day, we salute the humble coach who has given the nation and the game a gem that has not lost its lustre after 24 years of international cricket.

Happy Teacher’s Day Sir!