1. When he came on to bat, the entire family gathered in front of the T.V. with bated breath.
2. He gave little boys all over India the courage to follow their dreams.
3. Because even before he was a professional cricketer, he had set a world record.
4. At 18, he was the first non-English member of the Yorkshire Cricket Club. Indians everywhere brushed off their shoulders.
5. He gave atheists something to believe in.
Because if a 16-year-old can hit four sixes in one over against Abdul Qadir in his debut year, there must be a god.
6. And he gave India, a nation of hundreds of gods, one religion to unite around.
7. He made commercials as exciting as the game itself... By being in them.
8. There was nothing more thrilling than watching him step onto the pitch and pound out a century.
9. So it's a good thing he did that so, so, so often.
10. Seriously. All the damn time.
11. His birthdays were always an occasion for the entire country to celebrate together.
12. He raised the bar for cricket in its entirety, by inspiring other cricketers to be better.
13. And has, in general, been an inspiration for athletes across the sporting world.
14. In 2010, when he became the first cricketer EVER to score a double-century in an ODI, you literally gave him a standing ovation from your living room.
15. And then when Sunil Gavaskar bowed down to him afterwards, you wanted to as well.
16. Whenever he went up against Shoaib Akhtar, you felt as though years of political conflict were being settled on the cricket pitch.
View this video on YouTube
17. Whenever he got out, you felt a sense of abject doom, like the game itself had lost its meaning.
18. And when his batting style slowed down in the mid-2000s, you (along with the rest of India) panicked and thought he was depressed.
19. But he made it acceptable to display emotion.
20. During the 1999 World Cup, when he hit a century against Kenya immediately after attending his father's funeral, your hairs stood on end.
21. He taught you to be proud of, and loyal to, your hometown.
22. And he taught you to always put your team first.
23. You've read this paragraph multiple times but it still gives you goosebumps:
24. The crowds of Wankhade stadium chanting his name is your favorite sound in the world.
View this video on YouTube
25. And this familiar celebratory stance is your favorite sight in the world.
26. When the Indian team lifted him on their shoulders after winning the 2011 World Cup, you cried the happiest tears of your entire life.
27. Hearing the news of his retirement was an emotional roller coaster, even though you'd expected it for years.
Privileged to have seen a child prodigy go on to become a true legend of the game from very close quarters. All the best Sachin.
sachin, i'll say this again : you were a great habit. i'll live every moment of these last two games
Cricket. Now, a Godless sport. #SachinRetires
28. While the sport lost a legend, it'll never be the same.
29. And, more than anything, you feel lucky to have gotten to witness the reign of the Little Master who changed the game forever.
