Former India captain and legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar was no ordinary cricketer. He is regarded as the 'God' of cricket and rightly so. Former and current cricketers respect Tendulkar immensely for the contribution he made for the sport to flourish across several countries. Almost 33 years have passed since Sachin received his maiden Test cap and made his India debut against Pakistan. In just his first international match, the champion batter won hearts of millions of people by displaying immaculate tenacity against a lethal bowling attack.
Most people are already aware of Sachin's flawless career and impeccable journey. But not many people are aware of his love story with Anjali Tendulkar. So, let's take a look at Master Blaster's love story.
Sachin Tendulkar First meeting with Anjali
It was a classic case of love at first sight. Sachin and Anjali first met at the airport in 1990 when the former was returning to India after participating in his first international tour. Anjali was at the airport to see off her mother. After that the duo again met at a common friend's place and that is when they got to know each other.
Sachin Tendulkar Dating to Anjali
When Sachin and Anjali first met, the former was starting his international career while the latter was studying medicine. Anjali was excellent at studies and had little interest in cricket. But while dating, she slowly started getting to know Sachin and the sport in which the champion batter was taking giant strides. In an interview, Anjali had said that Sachin fell in love with her because she did not know much about cricket.
A journalist in disguise
"The first time Sachin wanted me to come to his house, he was a little hesitant. So he came up with this plan that he will tell people at his home that I was a journalist. He said you pretend to be a journalist. I said, fine, whatever you say. I went to his house nicely dressed in salwar kameez," Anjali had said during the launch of Sachin’s autobiography ‘Playing It My Way’ in 2015.
Anjali also revealed that she used to write letters to Sachin during their early days of dating.
"When I met him in 1990, there were no mobile phones so I had to cross my 48-acre college campus to a telephone booth to call him. I then decided to write letters to him when he was in Sydney to save on telephone bills," she said.
Sachin Tendulkar Engagement with Anjali
Sachin and Anjali got engaged in 1994 in New Zealand. The interesting thing is that Sachin's family members were informed about the love affair by Anjali rather than Sachin himself. It was very difficult for Sachin himself to tell his parents that he wanted to marry Anjali. Sachin had once told that it was more difficult to tell his parents about Anjali than facing a fast bowler. Therefore, he put the responsibility of informing his parents on Anjali's shoulders.
Sachin Tendulkar Marriage with Anjali
After dating for five years, Sachin and Anjali tied the knot on May 24, 1995. In one of the interviews, Anjali had said, "I've not known any other person in my life except Sachin. I understand him so well. So whether I am his girlfriend or his wife, it's the same thing, just an extension of that bond."
Sachin and Anjali were blessed with their first child on October 12, 1997, and they named their daughter Sara. The duo was blessed with a son on September 24, 1999, and they named him Arjun.
Left her career for Sachin
When the time came for Anjali to work in a government hospital, she realised that her full-time career and married life with Sachin could not go hand-in-hand. Anjali had said that Sachin used to depend a lot on her, and thus, she decided to stay at home and make everything perfect for him. Whenever Sachin was playing an international game, Anjali would be hooked to the television, watching the 'Master Blaster' torment opposition bowlers.
"The fact is I watch every game, that too right from the start. Yes, I never go to the stadium but I watch it on TV. Actually, I have one particular spot in the house from where I can watch TV and also keep an eye on my Ganpati (Ganesha). I don't eat. I don't answer phones. I don't drink. I don't even move. I don't reply to any SMS until he's out," Anjali had told the Times of India.
