TEN legendary facts that all Sachin fans must know

The man who donned the No.10 jersey, the man who later evolved into a 'God' for his fans, the man who has scaled legendary feats in cricket setting the bar high for future stars- he is none other than Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. As the cricket God celebrates his 45th birthday today, we at Indiaglitz thought why not ponder upon 10 interesting facts to know about the master batsman.

FACT 1: Ambitious little boy

Sachin Tendulkar, the man whom we adore as our God once was just an aspiring novice with great ambitions. Guess what, Sachin used to sleep with his cricket gear during his junior days. That kind of attachment to the sport is what have made him what he is today.

FACT 2: Sachin as a 'ball boy'

If you are 'wow'ing at the first fact still, know this too: Sachin was a ball boy(gulp!) when he was 14 years old. It was during the 1987 World Cup, in a match between India and Zimbabwe at the Wankhede stadium. Can you just imagine his massive transformation from a boy who picked balls at the boundary to the man who hits countless boundaries?

FACT 3: Sachin's first car

When you get a grip on your career and all seems well, there is no fault in spoiling yourself a little bit. Not at all. While many sporting legends during his time and the present go for luxurious brands, Sachin chose Maruti 800 as his first car. Yes, he really did. The automobile variant is literally extinct today.

FACT 4: Played for Pakistan

Sachin Tendulkar played for Pakistan. Eyes popped out yet? Well, Sachin played a substitute fielder for Paksitan during a practice match against India at the Braburne Stadium in 1988.

FACT 5: First person to get this in Int'l cricket

Sachin also is the first cricketer to be given an out by decision of the third umpire. 1992: Durban test match. When Jhonty Rhodes's throw caught the master batsman short of crease, third umpire decision was given.

FACT 6: Sachin's connection with Mani Ratnam's 'Roja'

No introductions needed on director Mani Ratnam's 'Roja'. The film which starred Arvind Swamy and Madhu, music composed by AR Rahman became a massive hit. Guess what, the cricket God once decided to catch the movie so he went in a bearded disguise.However, his glasses fell of and the disguise fail as the crowd recognised him. Wonder what excitement the fans would have had at the point of realization!

FACT 7: Sachin gets punished

Once Sachin fell from a tree when he was young. Guess what Ajit, his infuriated brother gave him as a punishment? He literally made Sachin go to cricket coaching class as a punishment. Literally! On a side note, we are really glad that Sachin was punished so! Who would have guessed he would later punish bowlers with his awesome strokes!

FACT 8: Sachin and tennis

Remember our younger days when we used to play cricket with those grassy tennis balls? Sachin loved it too. When he wasn't practising, the legend was seen playing darts during rainy times. Speaking of tennis balls, Sachin was also a great fan of ace tennis player John McEnroe. He adored the player so much so that he ended up growing long hair and tying it in a band in imitation.

FACT 9: Sachin's non-cricket obsessions

Sachin is also a sorts of collector. Nope, not gloves of role models, signed pads, or stumps like our Thala Dhoni. No cricket memorabilia. He is a known collector of perfumes and watches. Wow.

FACT 10: Sachin's secret of energy

'Boost is the secret of my energy!' This ad slogan has been etched into the hearts and minds of an entire generation of kids, thanks to the Sachin quotient. This was the first brand which Sachin endorsed. He even later appeared with Kapil Dev in the ads. Wondering why this is in the 'legendary' Sachin facts list? Well, it's a fact about Sachin. Obviously has to be legendary.

Conclusion

Here's Indiaglitz wishing the legend Sachin who has evoked a varied range of emotions in millions of cricket fans, a joyous happy birthday! His will be a name which is deeply engraved in the annals of history. And he will be remembered forever and ever. After all, can Gods die?

The man who donned the No.10 jersey, the man who later evolved into a 'God' for his fans,