Stuff of legends! When Sachin Tendulkar credited a waiter for brilliant cricketing advice

Sachin Tendulkar isn't called the God of cricket for merely his exploits on the cricket field. To be anointed as 'God', Sachin transcended boundaries and created a personal space in the hearts of his fans. Much like tennis great Roger Federer, whose fan-following is unparalleled, Sachin's popularity can be credited greatly to his off-field persona. The reason why these two icons enjoy such reverence is hard to put into words, but it's fair to say that it isn't a case of bias.

An example of how Sachin managed to create a special connect with fans was shared recently by the Master Blaster himself during an event to launch his own sports equipment and sportswear range ‘Sachin by Spartan’ in Mumbai. The legend shared an anecdote which was a testament to his grounded nature and his humility.

“If you have an open mind you can develop so many things,” he was quoted as saying by India Today. “In Chennai, it was a waiter who came up to me and said if you don’t mind and don’t get offended I want to tell you something. I said go ahead. He said my elbow guard restricts my bat swing. And he was 100 per cent right.”

“I knew I was feeling uncomfortable but I never thought of doing it myself. A few years down the line, I got hit a couple of times on my elbow guard and it hurt. That’s when I realised that the padding on my elbow guard was inadequate. I instantly redesigned it. I needed to re-open it and work on it. Get the fibre and cushion on either side to absorb the impact. In our country, everyone from panwala to CEOs will give you advice. But one should still be open about ideas.”

At the event, the former Indian captain also revealed that the tricolour on his bat in the last match that he played for India was for thanking all the fans who had stood by him through his career.