Sachin cancels his birthday celebrations

Sachin Tendulakar with Satya Sai Baba

 Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who turns 38 Sunday, has decided not to celebrate his birthday and remains doubtful for the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Deccan Chargers here in view of the worsening condition of the spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba.

Tendulkar is an ardent devotee of the 85-year-old Baba, whose condition is very critical.

Tendulkar said he is praying for Baba's quick recovery.

"I am praying for Shri Sathya Sai Baba's quick recovery. Hope everyone will join me in praying for his return to good health," Tendulkar said on Twitter.

The Mumbai Indians captain did not arrive with the team Saturday for the match against Deccan Chargers here Sunday, but is expected to come later in the day, according to sources in the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).

He is, however, uncertain for the match and has also decided not to celebrate his birthday, sources said.

"He may stay away from Sunday's match so that he can visit Puttaparthi, the pilgrim town in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, in case of any eventuality," sources said.

Tendulkar, who has visited Puttaparthi on several occasions to seek Baba's blessings, had planned a party in the hotel to celebrate his birthday. The Mumbai Indians management and HCA officials had even made some arrangements for the party.

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Sachin Tendulkar has mostly celebrated his birthdays in a quiet manner and away from the public eye over the years. On the eve of his 38th birthday too, the Little Maestro chose to make the occasion special in his own way by fulfilling the wishes of physically challenged soldiers based in Pune on Friday.

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Since his cricketing commitments made it impossible for Tendulkar to meet them personally, he interacted with the soldiers undergoing rehabilitation at the paraplegic centre in Pune's Khadki cantonment via a video-conference which was lively and invoked lots of laughter.

While the jawans asked him several questions, Tendulkar too had a few to ask one of them being, "When you (soldiers) go out on a mission there are no retakes. Where do you get the courage from, especially at times when it is a matter of life and death? To which, the jawans replied, "Whatever we do as soldiers is with the responsibility of serving the nation and when we are at the front it is about that and nothing else matters. One doesn't even think about whether you'll stay alive or not." The answer had Tendulkar moved.

On a lighter note, a jawan asked him about his trips to Dehradun and if the hill station was one of his favourite. Tendulkar said, "I have been there only once but the television channels keep showing the same footage. But it's a very nice place and I loved the long morning walks in solace there."

He was also asked about his love for tennis to which Tendulkar quipped, "For me as a kid the choice was between tennis and cricket and I feel that I didn't make a bad choice. Though, I still love tennis and watch it whenever I get time."

About every kid wanting to play cricket and be like him, Tendulkar emphasized that it was for every parent to allow their children to pursue their interests. "Children have their own choices, they should be encouraged. For the kids, it is important that they pursue their dreams with devotion."

Tendulkar promised to pay a visit to the jawans. "I would like to play table tennis with you and would like to learn to play basketball when I come to meet you," he said.

Tendulkar also cut a cake and exchanged bouquets with the soldiers on camera.