Across a 24-year international career, Sachin Tendulkar created an enviable legacy - becoming the highest run-scorer in Tests and ODIs, scoring 100 international centuries and breaking numerous other records in different conditions.

His name is synonymous with cricket and will be for years to come and Sachin Tendulkar loved the game equally.

“I always call cricket my passion, my life. I was in a different zone, I had made a world for myself when playing cricket, where I was so engrossed that the outside world did not matter to me,” Sachin Tendulkar told the YouTube show ‘In-Depth with Graham’, conducted by journalist Graham Bensinger.

Making his debut for India at the age of 16, Sachin Tendulkar earned fame at an age when most people only dream of it.

He went on to touch even greater heights going forward and while it could affect some people, Sachin credited his family for helping him keep his feet on the ground throughout.

“My family did not allow fame to affect me. I had the right people around to maintain a balance between success and failure. They gave me stability in life because it did not matter if I performed well or not, once I came back home, I was just the normal Sachin,” he stated.

“My father once told me that my talent was a god-given gift and I should hold it with both hands. And that’s what I tell kids to do, regardless of where their talent lies.”

One other aspect that Sachin touched upon in the interview was how he managed to sustain that success over such a long period of time, highlighting one key trait.

“Self-belief was the main reason for my success. I always believed that I would play for India, the only question was when. Playing cricket for India gave me a lot of satisfaction and joy, I did not want anything else from life. If the journey starts from your heart, you can go all the way,” he explained.

Sachin Tendulkar has also been a hero to many a cricketer and his own nature of wanting to be a mentor and share his knowledge of the game allowed many youngsters to pick his brain.

One of them was Virat Kohli, who idolises Sachin Tendulkar and even asked for a few tips to improve his game after a poor series in England in 2014.

When Sachin Tendulkar retired in 2013, Virat Kohli had gifted him a sacred thread that his own father had given him.

“I was sitting alone in a corner after my last Test when Virat came up to me and gave me that sacred thread. I kept it with me for a while and returned it to him later because it was priceless and it had to stay with him. It was an emotional moment and something that will stay with me forever,” said Sachin.

And when the inevitable question was asked of who between him or Virat Kohli was the better batsman, Sachin had a typically cheeky reply.

“How about both of us in the same team!” he quipped.

In what was a wide-ranging interview, we certainly got a peek into Sachin Tendulkar’s mind as he shared memories and his philosophy for success.