Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar remains the most capped player in international cricket. Tendulkar played 200 Tests, 463 ODIs and one T20I before retiring at the age of 40.
The Mumbai-born had debuted when former Indian skipper Kapil Dev was still in his heydays and continued to mentor his subordinates, like the incumbent Indian captain, Virat Kohli.
Thus, Tendulkar had a long career that was built on glorious performances for his side.
Performing at the highest level has many things at stake, and hence some players experience anxiety issues.
Talking about the same, Tendulkar revealed that he, too, went through bad days and couldn’t sleep before the night of a contest for 10 to 12 years.
“For 10-12 years of my career, I couldn’t sleep on the eve of the match. I used to be wide awake tossing and turning in bed, constantly thinking about the match the next day. That anxiety and restlessness were palpable. After over a decade, I realised that this is perhaps how I prepare before a game and accepted that,” Tendulkar told Bombay Times.
When asked how he recovered from the situation, the only sportsperson to be a Bharat Ratna recipient stated that he did not fight the feeling and learnt to perform well while staying awake the previous night.
“I did not fight that feeling anymore. I would watch something on television, read or play a game. I did whatever I felt would help me play better the next day. It was not just about physical, but mental preparation, too. I made sure that mentally I was at ease and not panicking about how I will play the next day if I have not slept the previous night. Over a period of time, I learnt more about myself. I learnt to deal with various issues and acceptability helped a great deal,” Tendulkar concluded.
Tendulkar had earlier opened up on his anxiety issues and urged people undergoing the same to see a doctor.
