One shade of Tendulkar's persona

I want you to come for the match. Your presence might bring us luck. Tell me, how many passes should I give you?" Sachin Tendulkar was talking to Aniket Ghonge, a physically and mentally challenged 15-year-old.
"Just one," the kid replied. "Why just one? Don't you have a girlfriend? I can spare two passes for you," teased Sachin, only to see Aniket burst into laughter, his face lighting up with unbridled joy.Aniket's father was so moved he was on the verge of tears. "He hasn't smiled so joyously in all his life," he said.
Only Tendulkar, among all celebrities, could strike such instant rapport, convey such compassion and heartfelt affection. Every time he comes to Nagpur, he takes time out for mentally challenged and autistic children. Every time, he says, he is stumped by their love for him.
And this is just one shade of Tendulkar's persona. In his own quiet way, he does his bit for charity, supporting over 200 underprivileged kids for ‘Apnalaya'. "I don't do it because I want people to start appreciating what I do. I do it because I feel I should contribute to society in whatever manner I can," says Sachin, who, in a way, epitomises middle-class success. He might be a superstar but is very conscious of his duties.
Time is one commodity, though, which is always in short supply. Somehow, Sachin still manages to find enough time for everyone.
Punctuality is his forte. If he has scheduled an interview, the scribe better be on time. Yet, once when a reporter took ill and couldn't make it, Sachin spoke to him and said, "Don't worry. Let me know when you get well. I will find time for you." Sachin knew a phone call would make the scribe feel better. He is that kind of a person.
It cannot be easy when you are living in a bubble, when everyone wants a piece of you and life means intervals between matches, but Sachin has managed to conduct himself with great dignity right through his career. Globally, tantrums and indiscretions are standard fare with sportspersons.
Boris Becker sired a baby out of a chance encounter with a girl in a closet. Mike Tyson served a term for rape. Diego Maradona failed a dope test. Andre Agassi stunned the world by admitting he took drugs. Tennis star John McEnroe was infamous for his on-court outbursts.
Indian sportsmen, in contrast, have been a quieter, better behaved lot. Even among them, though, Sachin stands out as a beacon of modesty. Nobody has ever accused him of being arrogant. He has never been in a drunken brawl. He has never held up a flight.
Sachin is fiercely proud to be representing India, and is conscious he might as well be carrying the national flag out to bat. There are precious few world-class brands that have ‘Made in India' stamped on them. Sachin is number one on the list.
There are two things that make Sachin stand out from the rest of his ilk. One is the way he has handled the expectations of a billion people right through his career. The second is he hasn't changed one bit over the last two decades. It has been a privilege knowing Sachin not only as a great batsman, but as a great human being.