We will be publishing complete autobiography of Sachin, but in parts.

Hope you like to read them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Who do I acknowledge first and how do I acknowledge the millions of cricket supporters who have
stood by me throughout my career? My simple answer is to dedicate this book to those fans for their
unwavering support and encouragement.
The others who need to be thanked profoundly must quite obviously start with Anjali, my devoted
wife and partner in everything, who felt I could and should tell my story for posterity. My readers will
know if I have managed to do so well enough.
Sincere thanks must also go to the following:
Ajit, who grew up with me and made me the cricketer I was, and who shared my passion for telling
my story. Thanks to him for reading and commenting on the drafts.
Arjun and Sara, who when they read this book will know how much I have always loved them and
how I felt at not being with them more in their growing-up years.
Aparna Santhanam, family friend and much more, who was a real inspiration at the writing stage.
She read each chapter and her suggestions proved invaluable.
Vinod Naidu, my manager and good friend, for putting the idea of an autobiography to me in the first
place and more importantly for being someone I have always been able to depend on for guidance in
commercial matters over the past decade.
Amit Bhangar, for constantly but gently reminding me of the deadlines and pushing me to complete
the book in the time frame we were given.
Roddy Bloomfield, my publisher, who has worked closely with me on the book from start to finish
and who is a man whose judgement I have been able to trust; Fiona Rose, his able and helpful editorial
assistant at Hodder; Tim Waller, the external editor, who has helped to shape and refine the manuscript.
Finally, to Boria Majumdar, friend and co-writer. By sheer persistence he managed to persuade me
over the last three years to spend endless sessions reflecting on every aspect of my life. His infectious
enthusiasm and intelligent questions got me fully involved in animated, thoughtful and enjoyable discussion.
Through his commitment and focus he has been able to convey the whole story in my own
words, impressively expressing my thoughts.

 

PROLOGUE
On 16 November 2013, my cricketing journey finally came to an end at the Wankhede Stadium. After
somehow managing to complete my farewell speech, I was having a conversation with my family, trying
to soak in every moment, when my team-mate Virat Kohli walked up to me. He said, ‘Paaji aapne
kaha tha aap ko yaad dilane ke liye ki aapko pitch pe jana hain.’ (You asked me to remind you that
you had to go to the pitch one final time.) To be honest, I hadn’t forgotten; I was just trying to put the
moment off for a little longer. It was to be my final visit to the 22 yards that had nurtured and cared for
me for so long.
As I walked across the outfield I knew so well, my mind was a complete blank. A lump was forming
in my throat as I reached the pitch to pay my final regards. I was there for barely fifteen seconds and
all I said was, ‘Thank you for taking care of me.’ As I headed back to the pavilion for the last time, my
mind was suddenly a muddle of memories. In a matter of seconds I had traversed the entire twenty-fouryear
journey of my career – from my first net session with my coach Ramakant Achrekar, to getting out
for 74 in my final Test innings against the West Indies.
It seems to me that no autobiography can claim to document every detail of the author’s life. That’s
impossible. There are bound to be issues that can’t be written about for one reason or another, events
that are too personal or perhaps too sensitive. Yet I have set out to make this account of my career as
close to the full story as I can. Many of the events I describe are, of course, well-known to cricket fans,
but I have also tried to talk about a number of things I have not addressed in public before, some of
them a little embarrassing, and I hope that readers will find plenty to interest them.
Before starting this book, I had to think long and hard about whether it was the right thing to do. It
wasn’t an easy decision. I am not in the habit of being sensational for the sake of it or saying things to ruffle feathers. That’s just not me. However, I knew that if I agreed to write my story, I would have to
be completely honest, as that’s the way I have always played the game.
So here I am, at the end of my final innings, having taken that last walk back to the pavilion, ready
to recount as many incidents as I can remember from a career in which I was lucky enough to be able
to spend my time Playing It My Way.