Sachin meets Saraswathi, his oldest fan

[teacup]

Batting for Sachin PRIYADARSHINI PAITANDY The Hindu STEADFAST FAN Saraswathi Vaidyanathan. Photo: M. Karunakaran Saraswathi Vaidyanathan is 87, but reels off facts and figures about her favourite cricketer Sachin Tendulkar effortlessly As 87-year-old Saraswathi Vaidyanathan leans back on the couch, you almost expect her to pick up a pair of needles and start knitting. Instead she reaches for the television remote and surfs channels, only to stop at one telecasting cricket. There's a smile and a prayer on her lips — Sachin Tendulkar is at the crease. A Tendulkar fan and probably the seniormost member of the cricketer's fan club, she says, “I have been watching Sachin play from the time he started. He was 16 then. Twenty years later, he still does everything right.†From Ranji Trophy to International cricket matches and IPL, Saraswathi watches them all. Though cricket is her passion, she also watches other sports for “time pass.†“I watch tennis but don't understand the game well. I like Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and John McEnroe,†she smiles. It was because of her late husband that she developed an interest in sport. Before television arrived, she was glued to the cricket commentary on radio. Saraswathi may be frail now but her memory remains as fresh as ever. She effortlessly rattles off Tendulkar's records and match figures and like a fond grandmother refers to him as chota bachcha. As I quiz her about his achievement, she says, “As of now, he has 314 runs in the IPL. Mumbai Indians have played 7 matches and won 6. In ODIs he has notched up 17,594 runs and in Test matches he has scored 13,447 runs…†“Do you remember the '93 Hero Cup match against South Africa?†she asks and adds, “In the last over, they needed 6 runs to win. The situation seemed impossible. Lekin yeh bachcha took the ball from Azharuddin's hand and bowled, resulting in a run-out and conceding only 3 runs. We won,†she claps. Sceptical of the statistics available on the Internet this octogenarian keeps track of her favourite cricketer's achievements in her own way. Tiny scraps of paper with all the scores painstakingly written in neat handwriting are tucked away along with other prized possessions that include a couple of books on the cricketing genius gifted by her grandson. She secretly pulls out a few bits and shows them to me ensuring I handle them with care. All of a sudden, she chuckles. Saraswathi's face is bright with enthusiasm as she narrates another incident. “After the1998 Sharjah Cup, Shane Warne said he used to get nightmares about Sachin. Sachin ko ‘Man of the Series' ke liye car mila.†Here, Saraswathi's son interrupts, saying, “She is very sure some day Tendulkar will meet her. Once when she was asked if she wanted to meet her grandchildren in Australia, she said, “I don't want to meet anyone, I only want to meet Sachin Tendulkar.†Saraswathi now looks coy, blushes and says, “If I ever meet him, I'll tell him to keep playing with confidence and keep entertaining us.†And with that she goes back to telling me more anecdotes about the Little Genius and his numerous records. Link

[King Tendulkar]

:two_thumbs_up:

[Jadoo]

Wow that is very impressive, I want her to be my gandmother!

[Sachinism]

My great grandma when she was alive was a massive cricket fan. She could barely see, but she'd be there watching them play

[Holysmoke]

Words cannot grasp the effect this man has had on the Indian psyche. PS - My grandmom is 90 years old and is one of the biggest Sachin fans around.

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Sachin meets Saraswathi, his oldest fan The legend approached the 87-year-old Saraswathi Vaidyanathan with folded hands and sought her blessings. More... Sachin meets Saraswathi S. Dinakar “Whenever she has a health issue, all she needs to do is to watch Tendulkar bat and all her pain disappears” An emotional meeting:Saraswathi Vaidyanathan blesses cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar in Chennai on Monday. Chennai: The air suffused with warmth, Sachin Tendulkar greeted a special admirer at a city hotel here on Monday. The legend approached the 87-year-old Saraswathi Vaidyanathan with folded hands and sought her blessings. Despite an illustrious career of miles and milestones, cricket's most successful batsman has retained a great sense of humility. “I read in the article that you have followed all my innings and know all my records. I need your good wishes,” said the man who cuts across barriers. The April 1 issue of The Hindu Metro Plus broke the story of how Saraswathi, unmindful of her advancing age, had kept track of Tendulkar's glorious journey. She maintained her own statistics of the maestro, kept awake all night to follow his innings on television and prayed for him. Her body weak, Saraswathi had difficulty walking. Yet her eyes laughed when she saw Tendulkar in flesh and blood. Not wanting the moment to fly away and turning distinctly emotional, she said, “I am lucky to meet you.” Tendulkar corrected her. “No, I am lucky to meet you,” he said. Saraswathi recalled Tendulkar's records — to the legend's great delight — and expressed her wish that he complete 100 international centuries. Tendulkar is seven short of the landmark. “I will,” replied a beaming Tendulkar. She then gifted Tendulkar an idol of Lord Ganesh. Tendulkar touched her feet, again in all humility. Soon, he autographed her prized possession — a bat signed by several accomplished cricketers. The maestro's name had been missing from the list. Affectionately calling Tendulkar her fourth grandson — Saraswathi has three grandsons and a granddaughter — she asked the legend, “How are Anjali [Tendulkar's wife], Arjun [son] and Sara [daughter] doing?” Tendulkar answered, “They are all well.” Saraswathi's second son C.V. Venkitakrishnan said: “Whenever she has a health issue, all she needs to do is to watch Tendulkar bat. All her pain disappears. He is a tonic for her.” Despite being pressed for time, Tendulkar had happily agreed to meet Saraswathi. It came after a team meeting of the Mumbai Indians at Park Sheraton, ahead of the evening practice session. Tendulkar was moved on more than one occasion. Saraswathi had the final say. “You are short in stature, but very big in deeds,” she said. Tendulkar smiled, once again.

[vvvslaxman]

Another great chennai cricket fan :two_thumbs_up:

[Rajiv]

Ask her if she was a bradman fan before

[mhr123]

wooww... SACH IS GENUIS SACH IS MASTER SACH IS THE MAN SACH IS HUMILITY SACH IS CHARACTER SACH IS TONIC SACH IS SLEEP SACH IS SMILE SACH IS MANIA SACH IS VICAR Proud that SACH is INDIAN ... Proud to be Indian ... :isalute:

[Holysmoke]

Legend!

[TheWall]

A Legend & a Legendary Fan:two_thumbs_up:

[ViruRulez]

cannot say oldest fan .. every Indian is a Sachin fan and there must be many Indians more than 87 years .. not only Indians.. Sachin has fans all around the world .. I can say a great fan but cannot say the oldest fan as there might be thousands or even millions older than her

[satishg]

this is really heart-warming to see and read about :) a very nice gesture from SRT, cannot add anything more to that! SRT :icflove:

[flamy]

Awesome!! :two_thumbs_up::two_thumbs_up:

cannot say oldest fan .. every Indian is a Sachin fan and there must be many Indians more than 87 years .. not only Indians.. Sachin has fans all around the world .. I can say a great fan but cannot say the oldest fan as there might be thousands or even millions older than her

abe kitne baar ghuma ghuma ke bolega :wall:

[Aaku]

Masst :--D

[Roshanrocks]

:adore: :icflove:

[sohaib]

Shes in love with sachin :D

[Temujin Khaghan]

nice. but warnie was joking. he didnt have any nightmares.

[akshayxyz]

cannot say oldest fan .. every Indian is a Sachin fan and there must be many Indians more than 87 years .. not only Indians.. Sachin has fans all around the world .. I can say a great fan but cannot say the oldest fan as there might be thousands or even millions older than her

Don Bradman died at about 92 years of age! :)

[cowboysfan]

sachin is the baap of nice gestures!!!