Sachin Tendulkar

London: The publishers of Sachin Tendulkar’s autobiography Tendulkar Opus have decided to come out with a special edition of the book which will have the iconic batsman’s blood on the signature page.

The ‘blood edition’ of Tendulkar’s autobiography, which will contain previously unpublished pictures of his family, will be released in February next year to coincide with the ICC World Cup in the subcontinent.

The book, which will have 852 pages, will be sold at a whopping $75,000. Only 10 copies of the book, which will weigh 37kgs and measure half-a-metre square, will be printed. All 10 copies have, however, been booked in advance.

“The signature page will be mixed with Sachin’s blood — mixed into the paper pulp so it’s a red resin. It is what it is — you will have Sachin’s blood on the page,” publisher Kraken Media’s chief executive Karl Fowler was quoted as saying in a British daily.

“It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, it’s not to everyone’s taste and some may think it a bit weird,” said Fowler. “But the key thing here is that, to millions of people, Sachin is a religious icon. And we thought how… can you get as close to your god as possible?

“We’re publishing next February, in time for the cricket World Cup. It’s perfect timing. He’s never done an autobiography before and has a great story to tell.”

Apart from his blood, Tendulkar has also been requested for a sample of his saliva, which would be used to create his DNA profile that is to be printed on a two-metre gatefold in the book.

“What you’ll be looking at is his genetic make-up,” Fowler said.

All proceeds from the sale of the 10 copies will go to a charitable foundation supported by Tendulkar that will use the money to build a school in Mumbai.

Kraken will also publish around 1,000 copies of the autobiography in the less exorbitant price range of $2,000-3,000.

Signed by Tendulkar, this edition will also be half-a-metre square in size and will carry the Maetro’s DNA profile but not his blood. Kraken Media are also releasing a much cheaper, and smaller, edition of the book at $200-300.