Sachin Tendulkar's first cricket bat has a 49-year-old story to tell

Sachin Tendulkar shared childhood and present-day photographs featuring his first cricket bat. The 49-year-old keepsake received over 1.3 million views.Sachin Tendulkar shared a photo with his 49-year-old bat. (Photo: sachintendulkar/X)New Delhi,Nov 15, 2026 17:55 ISTLong before the packed stadiums, record-breaking centuries and the title of 'God of Cricket', Sachin Tendulkar was just a young boy with a cricket bat in his hands. Nearly five decades later, that very bat is still with him, carrying a little piece of his childhood into the present.The former India cricketer recently took a trip down memory lane by sharing two photographs on social media. One shows him as a child, proudly holding his first cricket bat, while the other captures him at 52, posing with the same piece of equipment 49 years later.Tendulkar paired the pictures with a line that summed up the sentimental value of the bat: “Pehle bat ki baat hai, 49 saal baad bhi mere saath hai! (It's about my first bat, which is still with me 49 years later!)."The two photographs offer a glimpse of just how far the little boy in the first frame has come. While the years have brought countless milestones and accolades, the bat remains a link to the days when his cricketing journey was only beginning. See the post here:Pehle bat ki baat hai, 49 saal baad bhi mere saath hai! https://t.co/kuRzxTfOoF— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) November 15, 2026The tweet also caught the attention of Nagaland Minister Temjen Imna Along, who joined the conversation with a warm message for the cricket legend. “Pehle pyaar ki baat hi kuch aur hai, aur jab baat cricket ki ho, toh aap toh hamare hamesha wale God of Cricket hain (There's something special about first love, and when it comes to cricket, you will always be our God of Cricket)," he commented.Social media users were equally taken by the nostalgic photographs. One commenter captured the contrast between the two images in a short line: “Baby Boy to God Of Cricket.”For fans who have followed Tendulkar's career across generations, the pictures offered something beyond a reminder of his achievements. They showed the childhood connection that came before fame, and a possession he has chosen to hold on to long after those early days.- Ends