struggled with anxiety for the majority of his career spanning for 24 years before realizing that his pre-game aspects were an integral part of his preparation. Tendulkar said that acceptability is the solution when it comes to mental wellbeing, which has become more important in recent months as players spend more time in bio-bubbles.
During an interview with Unacademy, Tendulkar spoke about the importance of being mentally prepared before a game. He said, “Over a period of time I realised that besides preparing physically for a game, you have to prepare yourself mentally also. In my mind the match started long before I entered the ground. The anxiety levels were very high”. He went on to share about how this anxiety affected his mental peace and how he mastered it. He said, “I felt the anxiety for 10-12 years, and had many sleepless nights before a game. Later on I started accepting that it was part of my preparation. Then I made peace with times I was not able to sleep in the night. I would start doing something to keep my mind comfortable.”
The 48-year-old legendary cricketer retired from cricket in 2013 with his 200th Test match. Tendulkar said that he tried shadow batting, watching TV, and playing video games in the early mornings and also relaxing and making a cup of tea in the morning helped him prepare well for the game. He added, “Making tea, ironing my clothes also helped me prepare for the game. I would pack my bag the day before the game, my brother taught me all of it and it became a habit. I followed the same drill even in the last match I played for India”.
Tendulkar said that it is normal for a player to go…
