Till the age of 20, all I ever wanted to do in life was to play cricket: Saqib Saleem
21/04/2021
April is a special month for Saqib Saleem. Not just because it’s the month that he celebrates his birthday (April 8), but also because his sports idol Sachin Tendulkar also rings in his birthday a couple of weeks later on April 24. Of course, with the pandemic, the actor’s birthday celebration was a muted affair this year.
He shares, “Last year, my birthday was during the lockdown. This time around, with the rise in COVID-19 cases, I didn’t go anywhere.
Since my parents are in town, I am more careful about who I meet and where I go.”
Every year, the actor celebrates Tendulkar’s birthday, a tradition that he hopes to follow this year, too. “I cut a cake on April 24 to celebrate his birthday every year. I don’t tell people about my love for Sachin, as I feel that they will judge me,” he shares, adding, “The tradition will continue.
This year, too, I will try to cut a cake on his birthday. My love for him is beyond measure.
He has been my idol since childhood. I have grown up watching Sachin sir win matches for the country. That will always be a huge influence.”
Interestingly, Saqib’s next release Kabir Khan’s 83, which is based on India’s first cricket World Cup victory gave him an opportunity to fulfil his childhood dream of being a national-level cricketer albeit on reel.
He will be seen playing Mohinder Amarnath in the biographical sports drama.
Not many know that before the acting bug bit him, Saqib was a state-level cricketer for Delhi. And guess what, he worshipped Sachin Tendulkar so much that he would often talk to the latter’s life-size poster in his room.
Talking about his admiration for the legendary batsman, Saqib says, “Till the age of 20, all I ever wanted to do in life was to play cricket. I was madly in love with Sachin. I had his life-size poster pinned on one of the walls in my room and would talk to it every night. I often told him that I would open for India with him one day.”
Saqib’s happiness knew no bounds when he finally got an opportunity to meet his idol. The actor reminisces, “I got to meet Sachin once when he came to Delhi.
Back then, I was playing cricket for my college. I still cherish that memory. You can’t imagine how big a deal it was for me because I worship him.
My friends in school would tease me if Sachin was dismissed early in a game, and I have gotten into fights with them (laughs!). Once, I suffered from an anxiety attack and had to be hospitalised after Sachin was dismissed early in a match.”
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