Tendulkar rules out immediate retirement

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NEW DELHI: Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Monday made it clear that he has no immediate plans of quitting ODIs, saying he was enjoying the game even more now and still has the "desire and the passion" to play for India.

Tendulkar said that the thought of retirement had not crossed his mind and he would let everybody know when he decides to call it a day.

"I have not thought about all that (retirement). If I have ever think about it, what is there to hide. I will tell you openly that day, whatever I decide to do, now I want to enjoy the game," he said, scotching speculation that the champion batsman may quit the shorter version of the game to prolong his Test career.

"The passion of cricket has not died. The love of the game is very much alive and I have played such a long time because of that I don't see any reason why that would change now. It is time to enjoy the game even more. I'm looking forward to it and continue. It is a wonderful moment and I should cherish it," he said in media interviews.

Asked where he saw himself five years down the line, Tendulkar said, "I don't know I'll still be Sachin Tendulkar... I don't think I'll be playing in the next World Cup but I am enjoying right now and I want to enjoy the moment."

"This is a rare moment and we have to appreciate the fact that something special has happened to this nation and just enjoy this moment," he added.

Asked what is the difference between this side and the teams of the past, he said, "This side has more match-winners, guys who can win a match on their own. There is a fine balance in the team."

In a career spanning 21 years, Tendulkar has played in 177 Tests and 453 ODIs so far, scoring a record 14,692 and 18,111 runs respectively.

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