• Home
  • Player Stories
  • Sachin Tendulkar Reveals How A Viv Richards Call Stopped Him From Early Retirement

Sachin Tendulkar Reveals How A Viv Richards Call Stopped Him From Early Retirement

Poulomi Chakraborty

Sachin Tendulkar With The Cricket World Cup (Source: @ICC/x.com)Sachin Tendulkar With The Cricket World Cup (Source: @ICC/x.com)

Among all the cricket stars across the globe over the years, Sachin Tendulkar stands first. Beginning his journey like millions of young hopefuls in India, he transformed into the ‘God of Indian Cricket,’ crafting a legacy that remains unparalleled.

As the highs and lows are both sides of a coin called ‘life’, it is no different for the Master Blaster. After a horrible exit from the 2007 World Cup, Tendulkar made up his mind to hang up his boots, but a phone call from Sir Viv Richards changed his mind, and fans enjoyed another version of him.

How Does Tendulkar Decide To Quit?

Beyond the glory of the iconic 2011 triumph, India’s journey through World Cup history has been a rollercoaster of soaring highs and crushing lows. From 1983 to 2011, Team India suffered some massive heartbreaks on the big stage. After having the most heartbreaking exit from the 2003 World Cup as the runners-up, they had a forgettable outing in the 2007 World Cup.

With just two wins in the tournament, they exited from the group stage. That moment hit a new low for Indian cricket. For Sachin Tendulkar, who had been part of every World Cup since 1992, the heartbreak was overwhelming. So much so, he considered calling it quits. In an interaction, he revealed the incident.

“I felt that was it. At that stage lot of things happening around Indian cricket were not at all healthy. We needed some changes, and I felt if those changes did not happen, then I was going to quit cricket. I was almost 90 per cent sure of quitting cricket. But my brother told me in 2011, there is a World Cup final in Mumbai, can you imagine holding that beautiful trophy in your hand?” Tendulkar said.

Viv Richards’ Single Phone Call Changes The Tide

In the cricket world, West Indies star Viv Richards is a legendary player who served the nation for years and set an example of being the master of the game. Even Tendulkar calls him his batting hero. In 2007, when Tendulkar was ready to walk away from the game after a heartbreaking World Cup exit, a single call from the West Indies great sparked a turnaround.

“After that, I went away to my farmhouse, and that is when I got a call from Sir Viv, saying I know there is plenty of cricket left in you. We had a conversation for about 45 minutes, and that was so heartwarming because when your batting hero calls you, it means a lot. That was the moment things changed for me, and from that moment onwards, I also performed much better,” he added.

That one phone call stopped Sachin Tendulkar from making a decision he might have regretted forever. In 2011, when India lifted the World Cup trophy, ending a 28-year-long wait, Master Blaster fulfilled his World Cup dream. As the nation celebrated, cameras captured his iconic smile, brighter than ever, etched forever in cricketing history