Not thinking of being 40: Sachin Tendulkar

The legendary cricketer is not thinking about the age factor.

"Age should not be a factor. As long as I'm enjoying the game, my body and my mind are going hand in hand together, then it works," Tendulkar said ahead of Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders match at Eden Gardens.

"I don't think I'm 40," he joked. "The moment you start looking at your age, you start shaping accordingly," he said.

The celebrations for Tendulkar's birthday were expectedly at an all-time high in the city. The batting maestro cut the cake close to 15 times in the day starting from a private function organised by Mumbai Indians. "It's embarrassing to keep cutting cakes... May be, I think close to 15 or so," Tendulkar said jokingly after cutting a 40-pound cake specially ordered by the Cricket Association of Bengal.

"(I have) never been so tense actually while cutting a cake. Thank you everybody for this gesture. It's really touching," Tendulkar said in a brief cake-cutting ceremony where his wife Anjali was also present.

EnthusiasmTendulkar said his cricketing journey has been a terrific experience. "It's been a terrific journey. First tour under Chika (Kirs Srikkanth) was a tremendous learning experience. From there on, I've been part of various tours. The journey has been exciting. It's been a great learning experience," he said.

About his unbridled enthusiasm, Tendulkar said: "I've always cared about the game. Always believed that how can I best prepare myself before a tour or a game. That's what I've done." Tendulkar, meanwhile, thanked his billions of well-wishers on the occasion. "Once again I would like to thank everybody for the love and affection showered on me in the last 23 years. So many people are around.

"I can't find words to thank them. It's their love and affection which has allowed me to do certain things and express my talents in the middle. It's been fantastic to walk out in the middle with millions cheering," he said.