Sachin is not retiring

Sachin Tendulkar, like most other Indian cricketers, loves England. It’s not just because it’s his second home in more ways than one; it’s because it affords him the luxury of living like a normal human being.

It’s almost adorable to see him step out in his leather jacket, immaculate darks and jeans for dinner almost every other night; the other day at Leeds, in fact, he walked almost a kilometre all by himself with one of his famous bats in tow. Out of choice "to breathe the fresh air".

However, at times, his celebrityhood casts a dark shadow on him even here. Just the other day, he made just one mistake: he simply said One-dayers were taking a toll on his body. "It’s not so easy to recover as quickly when you are 34. It’s becoming an obstacle for me."

That was enough for the rumour-mongers to start off. A story in a Marathi newspaper, claiming Tendulkar was going to retire from One-dayers after the Lord’s game, set everybody into overdrive. As a part-retirement looked implausible here in England, the venue was quickly shifted to Mumbai, during Australia’s upcoming tour.

The question was raised during the presser on Wednesday evening. Rahul Dravid simply said "completely false" and moved on to the next point. The doubts, however, lingered; they forced the Board and Tendulkar’s family to step into the story too.

An agency quoted Tendulkar, saying there was no truth in the story. Team manager Rajiv Shukla took up the matter with the man himself and came back convinced. "There is absolutely no truth in the story. All these are rumours and are unfounded. The thought didn’t even cross my mind," said Tendulkar, according to Shukla.

For some, life can never be simple. Tendulkar had given one of his vintage performances on Wednesday, even picking up the man of the match award for his effort. He cramped quite badly during his sensational 94, prompting the stories to take flight again. He had played an equally critical role in the Leeds victory too.

More importantly, Tendulkar was at the forefront of the celebrations after the win on both occasions. On Wednesday evening, he sang, danced and had his usual few swigs as beer and champagne were spilled in the dressing room. He not only seems to be batting at his best but is also enjoying every moment of it.

Sadly, Tendulkar can’t even say or do anything about all this. He shall remain the poor, little rich kid, forever.