10 most heartbreaking moments of the decade

2. End of an era like no other – Sachin Tendulkar

On October 10th, 2013, Sachin Tendulkar announced that the upcoming series against West Indies will be his final assignment in Indian colours. The coming one month was one of the saddest for all of his fans, who were definitely going to find it difficult to see an Indian team without him being the central figure.

On November 15th, 2013, Tendulkar made a half-century and was dismissed for one final time in his career. The next day, India won the Test by a thumping margin, thus bringing curtains to perhaps the greatest cricketing career of all time. Sachin Tendulkar from then on was a part of history and nothing was more difficult to accept than this.

After the post-match presentation, Sachin’s speech showing gratitude to everyone who supported him in this journey lasted nearly 17 minutes and made the entire country weep. It was perhaps one of the greatest farewell speeches ever given and the void he left behind was felt for many days to come.