The man who made Sachin, Sachin dies: Tendulkar’s coach, Ramakant Achrekar no more

Behind every successful man, there’s a woman. Heard that one, right? But is that all?

No, we aren’t getting into some alternate theory to Feminism, like ‘Mennism!’

Ever heard something like, behind every successful man or woman is a dedicated coach?

While the chances of the exact sentence being heard previously before are remote, but obviously, what isn’t, however, are thoughts that may often echo that sentiment.

Isn’t it?

In everyone’s life, there’s at least one person who puts his or her energies into making something constructive or meaningful out of the others- isn’t it?

In school, there’s that teacher or a group of many who make us who we are and because of whom we become what we become, eventually- right? At work, there’s this mentor in a boss- most of those who find such a figure of reverence cannot ever thank him or her enough- that some are fortunate to find. Similarly, in our personal lives, there’s always a member of the family, who may even be a cousin or a distant relative who, we know, can give us a patient ear especially during duress.

No?

Now for Sachin Tendulkar, one of India’s greatest cricketers ever, regardless of the generation, a person who was on the same lines as above and even beyond was Mr. Ramakant Achrekar.

Alas, Mr. Ramakant Achrekar, the man who stood behind making world cricket’s most famous name, what it is, is no more today.

In what can only be described as a colossal loss for Sachin Tendulkar, a loss of a kind that combines the loss of a great friend, mentor, philosopher, guide, and above all- a Guru- the demise of Mr. Ramakant Achrekar conveys the end of an era.

How else can one put it?

Mr. Ramakant Achrekar passed away, aged 87, peacefully at his Mumbai home. The medical experts stated natural causes, perceptibly due to old age being behind his demise.

But that said, for Tendulkar, the greatest man to ever wield a bat, at least in Indian Cricket, this is no ordinary loss; it’s actually the loss of a fatherly figure, isn’t it?

One of the finest things about the late Ramakant Achrekar’s life is that he was the person who first spotted the early potential in Sachin Tendulkar- the man responsible for striking 100 hundreds in the game of cricket- and thus, decided to dedicate his life toward honing Tendulkar’s skills.

The beautiful tale about Mr. Ramakant Achrekar and Sachin Tendulkar and their bond related to this great game is one that is often told and may be cited repeatedly in the course of the future especially when it comes to understanding a great student-pupil relationship.

The bond between a Guru and his pupil is that of trust, faith, commitment and a lot of hard-work. And truth be told, few other equations personified that as beautifully as the equation between Sachin and his ‘Achrekar Sir!’

Understandably stunned, saddened by the news, Tendulkar took to social media in expressing his feelings about the somber news and shared the following:

“Cricket in heaven will be enriched with the presence of Achrekar sir. Like many of his students, I learnt my ABCD of cricket under Sir’s guidance,” Tendulkar said. “His contribution to my life cannot be captured in words. He built the foundation that I stand on. Last month, I met Sir along with some of his students and spent some time together. We shared a laugh as we remembered the old times.