Sachin Tendulkar said he battled anxiety for a major part of his 24-year-old career before realising that his pre-game quirks were an important part of his preparation.

Talking about mental health, which has gained significance in the Covid times with players spending a lot of time in bio-bubbles, Sachin said acceptability is the key.

“Over a period of time, I realised that besides preparing physically for a game, you have to prepare yourself mentally also. In my mind, the match started long before I entered the ground,” Sachin said in an interaction organised by Unacademy on Sunday.

“I felt the anxiety for 10 to 12 years, had many sleepless nights before a game. Later on, I started accepting that it was a part of my preparation.

“Then I made peace with times I wasn’t able to sleep in the night. I would start doing something to keep my mind comfortable.”

That “something” included shadow batting, watching TV and playing video games in the wee hours of the day.