The Waiter's Game-Changing Advice to Sachin Tendulkar

(Sachin Tendulkar celebrates after scoring a century in a Test Match)

Having 34000+ International runs, and 100 centuries, recognized worldwide by the name of “God of Cricket”, Sachin Tendulkar has been one of the best players to ever hold the bat. His shot selection, skills, and every other thing have helped him to play 200 test matches for the Indian team which shows how much knowledge he has got in the game. However, despite being so successful in the game, he was once told by a waiter at a popular Hotel to adjust his arm guard to make sure he bats well in the upcoming matches. Yes, that’s true! And guess what, when Sachin followed the advice properly, he was able to bat freely and even achieved the desired results in the next few games. But what’s the whole story behind this greatest advice?

Sachin Tendulkar visiting the Taj Coromandel in Chennai

During his playing days, Sachin Tendulkar was always seen travelling with the team because of the test matches being scheduled in the different parts of India and hence he often used to visit the top tier Hotels. This is where Sachin Tendulkar was once in Chennai because of a test match being played there by the Indian team and the team was staying at the Taj Coromandel in Chennai where the players were a bit familiar with the staff and hence there was a positive environment everywhere.

During Sachin Tendulkar’s stay at the Hotel, he asked for a coffee from a waiter in his room and this is where the whole incident happened. While serving coffee to one of the greatest batsmen in the sport, the waiter asked for an autograph from him to which Sachin Tendulkar obliged and gave him the autograph. However, the interaction didn’t stop here as the waiter then went on to ask a question from him stating that if possible, could he recommend something to him regarding his game.

(Sachin Tendulkar adjusting his arm-guard during a practice session of the Indian team)

He told Sachin Tendulkar that while batting, his arm guard has been the reason why he isn’t able to do well while playing the lifted shots along with hampering the bat swing and it allows the bowler to take up advantage of it. Sachin Tendulkar was astonished to see it and when he went to the training camp, he made sure that he fit the arm guard well and after following the advice of the waiter, he was able to play better in the match and even went on to score a century later on.

During an interview, Sachin Tendulkar recalled the complete incident where a genuine help from someone allowed him to get better. Furthermore, he shared that taking advice from someone doesn’t mean that you are getting disrespected. With the advice from the waiter, Sachin Tendulkar was able to play freely and hence this is where everyone came to know about this incident. He even went on to mention that India is a country where everyone is a cricket expert and hence if someone’s advice really helps to get better, then there is nothing wrong with it.

On X (Twitter), Sachin Tendulkar uploaded a video narrating the whole incident where he shared about the waiter who came to him.

“If you have an open mind you can develop so many things. In Chennai, it was a waiter who came up to me and said if you don’t mind and don’t get offended I want to tell you something. I said go ahead. He said my elbow guard restricts my bat swing. And he was 100 per cent right. I knew I was feeling uncomfortable but I never thought of doing it myself. A few years down the line I got hit a couple of times on my elbow guard and it hurt. That’s when I realised padding on the elbow guard is inadequate. I instantly redesigned my elbow guard. I needed to re-open it and work on it.”

However, later in the video, Sachin Tendulkar also said that after the incident, he wasn’t able to find the waiter who advised him regarding the arm guard and he is still searching for him. This is where all the cricket fans started searching for that individual who made it possible for Sachin Tendulkar to bat well while seeing the problem in his attire.

(The man who advised Sachin Tendulkar to change his arm-guard)

It was in 2019 when the man who helped Sachin Tendulkar came into public and made it clear that he was the one who advised Sachin. Being a 45-years old at that time, S. Guruprasad confirmed his identity when he was living in Perambur. In a heartwarming turn of events, a phone call came to him on Friday evening from his nephew in France, bearing unexpected news: cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar had tweeted about him.

Sachin's tweet expressed a desire to meet this fan, whose wise counsel on his elbow guard during a chance encounter at the Taj Coromandel Hotel in Chennai left a lasting impression. Remarkably, the fan was none other than a waiter at the hotel, making the encounter all the more serendipitous. The tweet sparked excitement and anticipation, as the fan eagerly awaited the opportunity to meet his cricketing hero and relive the memorable moment that had unexpectedly brought them together.

However, his memory of the moment is a bit different from what Sachin Tendulkar remembers. Guruprasad says it happened in 2001, and he wasn't a waiter then. He was actually working as a security guard hired by the hotel through a contractor. Along with Tendulkar, the floor he was watching over also had other cricket stars like Rahul Dravid and Debashish Mohanty. This adds an interesting twist to the story, showing how a simple chat between a security guard and a cricket legend can be memorable, even if they're not exactly remembered the same way.

"I saw Sachin when he was about to take the lift. I wanted his autograph, but I did not have the paper. I got it in my security beat notebook. He seemed friendly. So I wasn't hesitant to ask. I told him that his elbow guard was affecting his wrist movement and swinging of the bat. If he gets out, the batting lineup would mostly fall like a pack of cards."

"I had noticed this about his elbow guard. But never imagined that I would get an opportunity to tell him. We played regularly in our neighbourhood. He gave all our friends a lot of suggestions to improve. However, none of us knew or had the wherewithal to pursue our interest in cricket seriously. There are a lot of children in our neighbourhood, which is predominantly low income. If Sachin visits us, it will be the best thing to happen to us. We would be honoured if he allows us to show him Tamil Nadu's hospitality with a meal at our home."

According to Guruprasad's close friend, V.G. Sridharan, Guruprasad was a big fan of cricket back then. He loved playing the game and watching it closely. Now, Guruprasad works as an assistant to a stockbroker. He feels that Sachin Tendulkar's acknowledgement of the incident shows just how great Sachin is, not just as a cricketer but as a person too. Guruprasad sees this recognition as a big honour and a sign of Sachin's kindness. It's a reminder of the impact a small moment can have and shows the lasting influence of Sachin Tendulkar, both on and off the cricket field.