Sachin Tendulkar has spoken about the source of belief that carried him through his final World Cup campaign in 2011, calling it a quiet but steady force during India’s title-winning run. Speaking at Sathya Sai Baba’s birth centenary celebrations in Puttaparthi, the former India captain said a book sent to him by the spiritual leader became part of his daily routine in the lead-up to the tournament.

Tendulkar said he received the book while the Indian team was in Bengaluru for a pre-World Cup camp. The timing, he said, felt significant because he knew the 2011 edition would be his last chance to lift the trophy.

The book, he told the gathering, gave him confidence and strengthened his mindset during the long tournament. “It gave me that confidence, that inner strength. That book became my constant companion,” he said.

Tendulkar finished the 2011 World Cup as India’s top scorer with 482 runs, including two centuries, as the hosts defeated Australia and Pakistan on their way to the final. The victory over Sri Lanka in Mumbai, sealed by MS Dhoni’s famous six, remains one of Indian sport’s defining moments.

Looking back, Tendulkar called the night at Wankhede Stadium the golden moment of his career. He described the celebrations that followed as unlike anything he had experienced in more than two decades of international cricket.

He credited the team’s mentors, the support of fans across the country and what he described as the blessings of spiritual figures like Sathya Sai Baba for the emotional surge that carried the players through the campaign.

“The entire nation got together that night. It was possible because of the blessings of our well-wishers, our gurus and above all, Baba’s blessings,” he said.

Promotional | North East Integration Rally