Mumbai, April 3: If you look up a cricketing record or feat, chances are you’ll find Sachin Tendulkar’s name right next to it. Most runs in Tests and ODIs, highest number of centuries, most matches – the list goes on. And now, you can add another one – a World Cup winner’s medal.

Tendulkar has been a part of every ODI World Cup since 1992 but the trophy had eluded him and his team. Until now. Playing in his sixth World Cup, India’s greatest cricketer finally knows what it feels like to be a World Champion.

After India registered a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede Stadium, the man who is known to keep his emotions to himself couldn’t stop the tears welling up in his eyes. And he wasn’t ashamed to show them. “I couldn’t control them. They were happy tears so I don’t mind crying,” said the legend in an emotionally charged post-win moment.

After recahing every individual cricketing landmark, Tendulkar had time and again stressed that winning the World Cup for India was his only dream. And his first public words after fulfilling that dream were these:

“I couldn’t have asked for anything better than this. Winning the World Cup is the ultimate thing and I’m finally experiencing it. This is the proudest moment of my life. I thank all my teammates without whose fabulous performance this would never have happened,” he exulted.

There was an immense amount of pressure on MS Dhoni’s men going into the tournament, and justifiably so. Not only were India one of the strongest teams in the competition but their impressive form and the home advantage had raised expectations to lofty heights. And Tendulkar, who has been taking on the pressure for the last 21 years, credited the support staff for helping the team stay focussed amid the brouhaha.

“Thanks to our support staff – they’ve all worked very hard. Mike Horn [an adventurist], who joined us for the tournament, has worked a lot on keeping us mentally stable and calm, especially in the last three games. Special thanks to Gary [Kirsten] and Paddy [Upton]. Their contribution has been immense,” Tendulkar said.

The maestro also spoke about his young team proudly, citing their togetherness and self-belief as the secret of their success. “The self-belief has always been there but in the last two years it has been stronger. In this World Cup, the team stuck together during the rough phases and we proved the people who doubted our abilities wrong. We’ve been very consistent. It’s been an honour to be a part of this team,” said the champion batsman, pride and joy writ large on his face.