Current Sachin or Prime Tendulkar? Answer - Sachin Tendulkar's IML win has fans firing on all cylinders

Sachin Tendulkar made a triumphant return to professional cricket, leading India Masters to victory against West Indies Masters in the final to claim the championship title of the inaugural International Masters League. Tendulkar delighted fans with his stellar performances throughout the tournament, scoring 34, 64, 42, and 25 runs in key matches. India Masters showed remarkable consistency, suffering only one defeat to Australia Masters on their path to victory. Tendulkar, at the age of 50, finished ninth on the list of top run-scorers for the season, tallying 181 runs and wowing spectators with his classic and iconic shots that brought back memories of his prime.

The straight drives, the pull shots, and the most memorable of them all – the upper cut – were on display again as Tendulkar produced magic for the final time this year. Tendulkar's knock of 64 against Australia last week was one of his finest as he toyed with the Aussie bowlers. He looked like a million bucks against the Aussies one more time in the semi-final before a quickfire 25 set up India's chase of 149 against the Windies.

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Tendulkar, as usual, attracted box-office crowd, with the final in Raipur witnessing as many as close to 50,000 people screaming the iconic 'Sachin, Sachin' chants when he was on the field batting, fielding or captaining. Heck! Every time Sachin appeared on the big screen, even if he was sitting in the dugout, the crowd erupted. It's not every day that a player who retired from top-flight cricket 12 years ago continues to evoke such emotions. Few sights captivate the public, like their beloved Master Blaster, unleashing a dazzling array of strokeplay. Yet, on Sunday, the image of Tendulkar hoisting the IML trophy sparked an unprecedented wave of warmth and joy.

Here are some of the reactions:

What Sachin Tendulkar said after winning the inaugural season of IML

"This feels nice around the neck. We were quite chilled out actually. We wanted to go out and just play our game. I told all the boys 'I know it's the final but the brand of cricket which we have been playing, we just need to produce the same'. I've always told the players that we win as a team and we go down as one. Individuals are always going to perform better than some of the other players like Nadeem, Rayudu were brilliant. And then Yuvi finished it well. Stuart. Irfan, Yusuf… all the guys chipped in at some stage. Great last couple of overs by Dhawal and Vinay," said Tendulkar.

"Loved it. The response to the IML was good. The standard of cricket was great. The players were willing to push themselves. I myself had a few niggles here and there but it has always been that way. I still remember our first practice session at DY Patil Stadium and visualising lifting the trophy on the 16th."

The Tendulkar versus Kohli debate continues to rage on, but the close of the inaugural IML season has crystallised one truth: Sachin Tendulkar remains a deep-seated emotion for India. Children who once marvelled at Tendulkar crafting one epic after another, have now matured into adults, their admiration for him only deepening with time. Kohli may go on to break more of Tendulkar’s records and could even claim the title of the greatest batter world cricket has ever witnessed. Still, Tendulkar will forever stand as the enduring benchmark.

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