Sachin Tendulkar departure marks ‘Fab Four’ end

Mumbai: India, a country that is extremely passionate about cricket, is getting ready for a new era in the game without Sachin Tendulkar.

For some, though, this is simply impossible to contemplate and a few diehard fans said that they may even stop watching cricket when the ‘Little Master’ retires.

Mumbai fans are now hoping Rohit Sharma can emerge as the new Tendulkar, while there are others who believe that Virat Kohli deserves that honour.

However, when Tendulkar walks off for the last time at the Wankhede Stadium, it will be last we see of the so-called ‘Fab Four’, made up of Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who lifted Indian cricket to great heights. From 80 Test matches, this group amassed 22,797 runs in the period between 1996 and 2008.

These days, conversations centre around whether there will ever be a new stellar quartet. Many believe that Shikhar Dhawan can replace Ganguly since he is also a left-hander and opener. Kohli will be the new Tendulkar, some say, while Cheteshwar Pujara can take the place of Rahul Dravid and Sharma can fill the boots of Laxman.

Ganguly was asked by media whether Kohli is worth of taking Tendulkar’s place.

“It is a bit early to decide on Kohli,” said Ganguly. “The next 15 months will be crucial.”

Regarding the formation of the new Fab Four, he believes that it may be decided after the oncoming South Africa tour.

“To be in this group, one should be able to perform on all kinds of wickets and conditions,” Ganguly said. “The South African wickets, where the ball is likely to bounce and fly around, will decide how good Dhawan, Pujara, Sharma and Kohli can be and whether they have the right temperament.”

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Cricket Association is still hopeful of seeing Tendulkar on a cricket field again. The association vice-president Ravi Savant has said they will ask Tendulkar to play in the Ranji Trophy this season. Savant feels that his presence in the dressing room could inspire a lot of youngsters.

Efforts are already under way to make Tendulkar a mentor. In fact, many are of the opinion that Tendulkar will not be able to keep away from the Indian team, and hence should be roped in by Team India as their mentor. It is said that a few have even approached Tendulkar with this request. As of now he has not responded and has clarified that soon after his retirement he will go on holiday with his family to get away from the madness before deciding what he would like to do next.

Another big debate is whether the days after Tendulkar will continue to attract sponsors to the game. People have made statements claiming that if today’s new breed of Indian cricket superstars such as Kohli are getting million-dollar deals, it is purely due to Tendulkar. A recent survey conducted by Wealth X reveals that Tendulkar’s net worth is $160 million (Dh588 million), making him India’s richest sportsperson.

For the value for money he has given his fans, he is considered worthy of these riches. Top companies have not yet discarded Tendulkar and his brand is expected to continue to attract sponsors even after his retirement. Could it be that more sponsors are likely to approach him hoping to cash in on his clean image when he retires?