Sachin Tendulkar meets Yuvraj Singh in London

Yuvraj Singh, recovering after his treatment in a US hospital for a rare germ cell cancer, got a morale-boosting visit by his idol Sachin Tendulkar.

The two met for an hour at an apartment of Yuvraj's friend here yesterday. Yuvi, as he is fondly called by his fans, got a warm embrace from Sachin and the two posed for photographs.

Sachin also wished Yuvraj a speedy recovery and an early return to the game.

Yuvraj's fondness for Tendulkar is well-documented and the left-hander dedicated his 2011 World Cup Player-of-the-Tournament to the senior batsman.

During the treatment in Indianapolis, Yuvraj had been paid a visit by former India spinner Anil Kumble.

Yuvraj was discharged from the hospital on March 18 after completing the third and final cycle of chemotherapy to recover from his illness.

"3rd chemo cycles over, back from hospital n I am free.

Road to recovery starts now. Can't wait to be back home," Yuvraj had tweeted after being discharged.

Yuvraj, who was in the US since February, is expected to be back on the field in the first week of May. The 30-year-old had gone bald during the treatment.

Yuvraj has not played competitive cricket since taking part in two of three home Tests against the West Indies in November last year.

He has so far scored 8,051 runs in 274 one-dayers and 1,775 runs in 37 Tests since making his international debut in 2000.

He was named Player of the Tournament in the World Cup last year for scoring 362 runs and grabbing 15 wickets in nine matches.

Marketing Tendulkar’s 100th Ton

The 10th and final Coca Cola can to honor Tendulkar’s landmark century.
Indian cricket fans were not the only ones to rejoice when Sachin Tendulkar scored his 100th century earlier this month.

There are also the many companies that had been waiting for this sporting milestone to cash in on it. Many firms, including the Indian units of Coca-Cola Co. to Adidas AG, were waiting for the little master to score another century to peg marketing campaigns to his 100th hundred. This took a lot longer than they expected – more than a year. Tendulkar, who endorses over 17 brands, ranging from biscuits to bikes, scored his 99th century in March of last year.

Multiretailer Future Group Ltd., for instance, was ready to release limited edition personal care products as part of their existing “Sach” brand. While they haven’t launched these yet, they are now offering “Sach”-branded goods like mouthwash, toothpaste, toothbrush and soap at the discounted prices, according to Devendra Chawla, a senior company official.

Coca-Cola, on the other hand, had to hold off the launch of its 10th “commemorative can” to honor Tendulkar. They finally unveiled their latest Sachin can this week. Atul Singh, President of Coca-Cola India, said in an email that Tendulkar “sits at the pinnacle of international cricket and we at Coca-Cola India compliment and salute his achievement of the 100th hundred.” The latest can, which is golden and costs 20 rupees ($0.3 dollars), honors this achievement.

Other Sachin-inspired products were also rolled out this week. On Tuesday, German sports manufacturer Adidas unveiled limited edition sneakers. “Adidas is privileged to have been a part his impossible journey,” Tushar Goculdas, the company’s brand director for India, said about Tendulkar’s latest century in an email. He expressed hope their new shoes would inspire the cricket star “to greater laurels.”

The special edition of shoes manufactured by Adidas to commemorate Tendulkar.
Available in 100 pairs, the special range of shoes are striped in red and golden, a color combination which symbolizes “passion and courage,” sentiments that they associate with Tendulakar’s performance on the pitch. The shoes are inscribed with special “Sachin Tendulkar” logos.

Sadly, not everyone can fit into Adidas’s Tendulkar shoes, which are only available in his own shoe size, U.K. size 8. The company is yet to finalize the price of the shoes and when they will be available for sale.

Aviva Life Insurance, on the other hand, is planning to launch contests open to employees and customers, which would give the winner the “opportunity to meet their icon and congratulate him in person,” said Gaurav Rajput, Aviva India’s marketing director.

Few companies have sought to market Tendulkar’s 100th ton as extensively as the India unit of Canon Inc.

Tendulkar’s 100th ton was a huge “sign of relief” for marketers, Alok Bharadwaj, senior vice president of Canon India, said in an interview.

In one of their campaigns, customers who purchase a Canon camera before April 10 can get a picture taken in Canon shops that is then framed with images from Tendulkar’s 100 centuries.

Another Canon initiative promises goodies signed by the little master to winners of a competition. Fans have to pick what they think is Tendulkar’s most-cherished century. The first 100 people to get it right get free goodies.

“Companies are well aware that his 100th century would live on forever but the marketability of the moment has a finite life,” said Mr. Bharadwaj.

But will marketing Tendulkar’s 100th ton pay off? Experts believe it will.

Chhavi Bhargava, managing director of market-research firm TNS India, said it “definitely give mileage to companies.” But she cautioned that companies can only look to reap short-term benefits, as the “hype” around his landmark century would soon fade away.

Coca Cola to roll out 7.2 lakh cans featuring Sachin Tendulkar

Coca Cola India will roll out 7.2 lakh 'golden cans' featuring batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar to commemorate his historic 100th century earlier this month.

"We have put 7.2 lakh golden cans and we don't think they will last many days," Coca Cola India - director marketing Wasim Basir said.

"Wherever we traditionally distribute cans, these cans would be available there," he added.

The 38-year-old cricketer scored his 100th international century against Bangladesh in an Asia Cup match on March 16, scoring 114 off 147 deliveries.

While nine of such cans in different colours have been launched in the markets in 2011, displaying the centuries personally picked by Sachin, the 10th limited edition Golden Can was put on hold awaiting his 100th hundred.

The golden cans will be available for Rs 20. "This is the first time in history of Coca Cola India we are honouring someone....This is the first time we have agreed to put a face on our cans," he said.

Tendulkar's achievement something superhuman: Srikkanth

Praising batting ace Sachin Tendulkar, Selection Committee Chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanth today described his achievement of hundred international tons as something superhuman and cited him as a classic example for "thriving in an imbalanced world."

Srikkanth, an ardent admirer of Tendulkar, was addressing a seminar on'Thriving in an Imbalanced World' organised by CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) here.

Lauding Tendulkar on his historic feat, he said, "A classic example for thriving in imbalanced world is Sachin Tendulkar. In 1989, when I was the captain, he was just 16 years old..... making a debut in Pakistan against Pakistan.

And there was Imran Khan, Wasim Akram.... You call that a balanced world?"

"In his first match, he gets it on his mouth, bleeds through his mouth. He does not go back. Then, he continues to play. Then, he continues, continues, continues and (is still) continuing!" he said.

Describing the challenges Tendulkar had to go through, Srikkanth said he had scored against Australia, South Africa, England and West Indies under various conditions,"all imbalanced conditions" ranging from turning wickets in India, seaming and bouncy tracks in England and Australia besides West Indian fast bowlers.

Tendulkar's record is something superhuman, he said.

Critics don't need to tell me when to retire: Sachin Tendulkar

"My critics haven't taught me my cricket," Sachin Tendulkar has said in a rebuttal to those who were calling for him to retire.

Sachin said: "The day he feels "a little less passion" when walking out to bat for India, I will give up the game" adding, "critics didn't need to tell me to do so."

Tendulkar said he had played cricket because he loved to do and there was nothing better than playing for India.

"I still get goosebumps as I stand with my teammates when the national anthem is on. I still feel the same passion when I pick up my bat and go out," he said in an interview carried in the latest issue of 'Open' magazine.

"They (critics) can question but none of them have answers to their own questions. None of them has been in my predicament and it is impossible for them to understand what I have been thinking and feeling," said Tendulkar, who scored the historic 100th international ton in the Asia Cup match against Bangladesh last week.

When asked whether the final hurdle of scoring the hundredth century was the most difficult, the veteran batsman said: "There is no doubt it was. The 100th hundred was the most difficult to get. I really don't know why but it was."

"May be because it turned into a national obsession. May be because I wasn't able to escape talk of the 100th hundred and it was affecting me at a subconscious level. May be God was trying me harder," he said.

Asked whether the thought of retiring from ODI cricket had crossed his mind after India won the World Cup last year, Tendulkar said such a thought had never occurred to him.

"A number of my friends have also asked me why I didn't retire from ODI cricket after winning the world cup, they may well be right. It would indeed have been a grand exit, emotions were running high and the timing could not have been better but to be honest such a thought never occurred to me," he said.

"There's Sir Donald Bradman and Sir Garfield Sobers, two of the greatest ever cricketers to have played the game. In my time, there have been Brian Lara, Shane Warne, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid. Each of them is a great player," Tendulkar said.

"The one thing my journey has taught me is that however good you are and however talented you are, you have to be ready to grind it out in times of difficulty. You must be prepared to work hard. Keep working hard. And harder.

"There was never and never be a shortcut to success and it is important to know this and pursue your dream with passion, determination and intensity. That has been my belief right through my career," he said.

Tendulkar said he wanted to see India playing well in Tests and be a part in the resurgence.

"I want to see India start playing well in Test matches and I would want to play a part in the resurgence. We played very good Test cricket for five to six year before we lost the series to England and subsequently to Australia.

"I can tell you losses hurt, they hurt really badly. The entire team is keen to stage a turnaround and give fans a lot more to cheer about when we play England in October/November this year. It is important to overcome the really bad phase and move on and I want to do my bit to ensure that Indian Test cricket is back on track," he explained.