World Cup: For Sachin or for us?

Kapil Dev and I generally do not agree with what he usually says (only he doesn't know about my disagreements), but in this case, I completely agree.

The 1983-World Cup winning captain has objected to making it "Sachin's World Cup" and said winning the event is equally important for the whole nation including every player of the Indian team.

"It is an insult to everybody else if you keep asking about Sachin all the time. Winning the World Cup is as important to the rest of the team as it is to Sachin, to you and me and the billions who want India to do well. It is not about Sachin alone," he had said at an event, and I agree to the letter.

Now I am fully aware that this is inviting public wrath, but I am taking the whole 'I am entitled to my opinion' thing, a little too seriously.

Even Virat Kohli has endorsed Kapil Pa ji's view.

At a recent endorsement event he said "The team wants to win the World Cup after a span of 28 years not only for Sachin but for the people of the country. He has brought umpteen number of glories(sic) to the team and I believe the World Cup would be a special gift for him and for the entire nation, its people"

I believe he said what he wanted to, without being dragged into headlines for his remarks.

I have a question for all the players who have said they want to do it (win the World Cup) for Sachin. Would they have put any less effort to win if Sachin was not playing this World Cup due to injury or retirement?

The World Cup trophy is the only feat missing from Tendulkar's glowing career. But then it is also missing from our careers as fans. I wasn't even two-years-old when India won the Cup in '83 so it doesn't count. I am sure all those who are born after 1975 or so would agree. It is also missing from the careers of some great Indian players who debuted, played and retired before they could get their hands around the coveted trophy. Spare a thought for Mohammad Azharuddin, Anil Kumble, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and the likes.

Sachin does not have the T20 World Cup in his resume. In fact, he stepped down from the team to give an opportunity to the younger players during the 2007 T20 World Cup and all the subsequent ones, but that didn't stop us from fighting hard for it in 2007 and bring it home, did it?

I remember Imran Khan's acceptance speech after winning the 1992 World Cup. He said something to the effect of the cup being important to him and his cancer hospital. He had said that he was also happy for having won the Cup at the twilight of his career. It struck me as odd and mighty rude of him to use that moment, which clearly belonged to the team, for such expression. You ask any Pakistani player from the World cup-winning team and he would not stop singing praises about their then captain. The man who made it possible, the person who made us believe in ourselves, and the force which helped us conquer the world etcetera. However, I still feel that it was the team's moment which took a backseat during Imran's speech.

Surely we don't expect such self-indulgence from Sachin. He is a very different sort of person. I am sure if Sachin was asked if India were to win the world cup at his cost, he would happily agree.

I am aware that these campaigns about winning the cup for him spring from the love and respect that we have for the master blaster (and of course advertisers cashing in on it) but whatever happened to the sport being bigger than the player, especially the cricket World Cup, the mother of all honours, sporting or otherwise for us Indians.

According to me, Sachin is one of best cricketers to have ever walked this earth. His records bear testimony of his greatness and I would be very lucky to see another cricketer go past his marks in my lifetime. But cricket is not my religion and Sachin is not my god. I still want the world Cup for myself and not for him. I choose not to pretend otherwise.