Fan following
Tendulkar's entry into world cricket was very much hyped up by former Indian stars and those who had seen him play. By scoring his first half-century in his second match and his first century aged 17, Tendulkar's consistent performances earned him a fan following across the globe, including amongst Australian crowds, where Tendulkar has consistently scored centuries.[48] One of the most popular sayings by his fans is "Cricket is my religion and Sachin is my God".[96] Cricinfo mentions in his profile that "... Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world."[97] During the Australian tour of India in 1998 Matthew Hayden said "I have seen God. He bats at no. 4 in India in Tests." [98]
At home in Mumbai, Tendulkar's fan following is so great that he is unable to lead a normal life. Ian Chappell has said that he would be unable to cope with the lifestyle Tendulkar was forced to lead, having to "wear a wig and go out and watch a movie only at night".[83] In an interview with Tim Sheridan, Tendulkar admitted that he sometimes went for quiet drives in the streets of Mumbai late at night when he would be able to enjoy some peace and silence.[99]
Business interests
Tendulkar's immense popularity has led him to numerous profitable business dealings in the past. Sachin Tendulkar was an early pioneer in India on cricket business dealings when he signed a then record sports management deal with Worldtel in 1995, the value of the deal being 30 crore rupees over five years.[100] His next contract with WorldTel in 2001 was valued at 80 crores over five years.[101] In 2006, he signed a contract with Saatchi and Saatchi's ICONIX values at 180 crores over three years.[102]
Making use of his popularity, Tendulkar has opened two restaurants: 'Tendulkar's'[103] (Colaba, Mumbai) and 'Sachin's'[104] (Mulund, Mumbai). Sachin owns these restaurants in partnership with Sanjay Narang of Mars Restaurants. He has also got a new restaurant in Bangalore called Sachin's.
In 2007, Tendulkar also announced a JV with the Future Group and Manipal Group to launch healthcare and sports fitness products under the brand name 'S Drive and Sach'.[105] A series of comic books by Virgin Comics is also due to be published featuring him as a superhero.[106]
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