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Sachin also mentioned how his decision to never endorse tobacco or alcohol left the legend without a bat contract for two years of his playing career.
Sachin Tendulkar. (PTI Photo)
Indian cricket legend and the prestigious Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award winner Sachin Tendulkar opened up on the importance of his father and the values that were passed down onto him on Saturday.
Tendulkar was speaking at the BCCI’s annual Naman Awards 2025 ceremony in Mumbai, where he was handed over the award by the ICC chairman Jay Shah to a standing ovation on Saturday.
The ‘Little Maestro’ then opened up on how important were the values taught to him by his father, something that would influence him to never promote alcohol and tobacco companies, who, around the 90s, used bat stickers to advertise.
He also mentioned how the decision left the legend without a bat contract for two years of his playing career.
“In the mid-90s, I played for 2 years without a bat contract, because they were alcohol and tobacco companies promoting heavily at that time, using bats as a medium to advertise. But all of us at home had taken this decision that I would not promote tobacco or alcohol,” Tendulkar expounded.
“So that was one big decision in the mid-90s that we, as a family, took and for two years I played without a contract. When it comes to values, I feel that family was my backbone and my strength in my career,” he added.
Tendulkar also advised the current crop of the country’s cricketers to avoid ‘distractions’ to loosen the grip on their careers and to ‘behave in the appropriate manner’ in good times to take India’s name forward.
“I would say, without cricket, all of us wouldn’t be sitting in this room. For me, it has been the ultimate gift of my life. We have bat and ball, and if there is no solid grip over that, or you start losing grip over the bat and ball, you kind of slowly start losing grip over your career also,” Tendulkar said at the ceremony.
“It is important to value when we have everything and behave in the appropriate manner to take the game forward and the country’s name (forward).
“Just go out, give your best, and make the most of this opportunity, because you only realise once you’ve stopped playing cricket, where you were a few years ago. So, all the very best to you,” he added.
