Wake up at 5.45am. No alarm required. Wide awake so decide to go to the gym to burn off some nervous energy.

Dipesh has organised a car – a rather fancy Mercedes – to pick up Vinod at his hotel at half eight and drive across to pick up Sachin at his home and take them both to the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone for the morning interview appointment at 9.45am. Matt Dickinson, the chief sportswriter for The Times, is first up to speak with Sachin. Matt is a top man. I’ve also worked with him on the only other Opus to be devoted to an individual sportsman, the Maradona Opus, for which he is our lead writer. Abi, from our PR firm, and our photographer Russ are also there to look after Sachin so rather than risk the traffic, I head to Sachin’s next port of call – the Westminster Academy school.

Normally, the journey from my flat to the Academy on Harrow Road would take 30 minutes by bus, but I’m not risking it today, so I set off an hour and a half early and take a taxi. Luckily, I pick a black cab driver who really has got ‘The Knowledge’. He takes a longer route, but one which avoids all the traffic and I arrive 45 minutes early so there’s even time for a quick pit-stop at a local cafe.

As I’m sipping my cuppa, I get a text from Russ to say that, miraculously, everything is running on time so far. ‘Sachin is lovely’, he adds. Good to know. I’ve worked with a few prima donna sports stars over the years and you really need ‘the talent’ to be cooperative or a day like this could turn into a nightmare.

I head in to meet our liaison person at the Academy, Maureen Pepper. We chose to bring Sachin to the Westminster Academy after consulting the Capital Kids Cricket charity (www.capitalkidscricket.co.uk), which promotes opportunities for kids in inner London schools to play cricket. Maureen explains that the Academy was a failing inner city school until two years ago, but has been turned around with new investment and management. The results have been impressive as pupils’ behaviour and results have improved dramatically.

Every square metre of space is used to the fullest. Incredibly, the Astroturf pitch where the kids will be playing cricket with Sachin is situated underneath the Westway motorway!

By 10.45am, our photographers and cameramen and the teachers and 22 lucky children (aged between 11-13) are sitting on the pitch waiting patiently for the arrival of their superstar guest who is due at 11. A journalist from Spin cricket magazine, who is writing a feature on the visit is also ready for action.

Bang on 11, we get the call that the car has arrived and Maureen and I go to meet Sachin.

Immediately, it’s striking how relaxed and friendly Sachin is. The Times interview went smoothly and he’s really looking forward to meeting the kids. Sachin is introduced to the kids by their teacher, and then the Little Master takes charge acting as an umpire for a game of Kwik Cricket. As well, as making decisions, he offers tips and you can tell the boys are loving every minute and eager to impress him with their skills.

Afterwards, they get the chance to ask questions and then Sachin signs a photo for everyone who played in the match. We then get a hilarious picture of Sachin among all the kids, with each of them holding up their signed Sachin head shots in front of their faces. 22 little Sachins with the Little Master himself!

After signing autographs for teachers and anyone else who wants them, we whisk Sachin away to his car so he can head back to Covent Garden for his next appointment.

The good news is that by the time Andy, Russ and me arrive back at the Opus Store in a taxi, Sachin has already signed his weight in cricket bats, balls, shirts etc (plenty of stuff for you lucky people to win in forthcoming competitions on Tendulkaropus.com!). Already, people are gathering outside, peering in to catch a glimpse of the man himself.

Next up, is lunch combined an interview for GQ magazine. First, though, Sachin tried on the suit which Hugo Boss have supplied for the photo shoot to follow in an hour’s time. We have a problem – the arms are far too long, and the shoes are a bit big too. We have to call in a guy from Moss Bros suit shop across the road to have a look. The bad news it will take too long to make the tailoring adjustments in time.

So while Sachin, Vinod and Abi head off to lunch with GQ at the Covent Garden Hotel, I run across to Moss Bros and enter into frantic negotiations with the shop manager. He wants to help, but can’t give us permission to borrow a suit without the okay from Head Office. There’s no time, so instead, he says he’ll give me the 50 per cent staff discount and send two of his guys across to make sure the suit fits okay when Sachin returns from lunch.

Inevitably, we are now running behind schedule. Luckily, we’ve built in an hour-and-a-half rest period into the schedule for Sachin before the evening event… hmm, but now it looks like he won’t be getting much rest!

Sachin returns from lunch and the tailors spring into action. It takes a couple of trips back and forth to their shop to find a suit that really suits Sachin. The next journalist’s time slot has already passed when the shoot finally commences, but, to be fair, Sachin is looking very dapper as he swishes an MRF bat for the camera.

Our photographer Andy has set up a backdrop on the ground floor of the Store, so a growing number of curious people gathering by the front door are taking their own photos through the window of the photo shoot.

Sachin spends the rest of the afternoon doing two more one-on-one interviews( for The Wisden Cricketer and The Independent), occasionally breaking off to pop outside and sign autographs for grateful fans.

It must be pretty hard to answer question after question, especially when you are quite a private person by nature, but Sachin can’t do enough for the journalists who all seem to be charmed by him.

By the time he completes his one-to-ones, it’s nearly six o’clock and guests are arriving for the evening event which begins at half past. Dipesh and Hannah have done a fine job on the catering front, acquiring the services of posh Indian restaurant The Cinnamon Club (www.cinnamonclub.com) who have laid on a delicious array of canapés. While everyone’s tucking in, we take Sachin downstairs to have a breather and brief him on the press event.

We’ve promised a ‘special announcement’ at tonight’s bash, and as well as the launch of the Tendulkar Opus website, we have got a slightly leftfield idea which we think will create amazing content for the Opus… subject to Sachin’s agreement, that is. Kraken CEO Karl Fowler explains our plan. Sachin smiles and agrees to go for it. Brilliant!

A few minutes later, the flashbulbs are popping as Sachin and our MC for the night, Mick Sawyer (Kraken’s Marketing Director), take their place in front of the world’s press and invited guests.

Sachin signs the first ten signature sheets for the Tendulkar Opus, then it’s time for our big surprise. Mick announces that Sachin has kindly agreed to give us a DNA sample which we will use to create a stunning two-metre wide multicoloured artwork in the Opus. The idea is that we will – quite literally – show the make-up of a sporting genius.

Jaws hit the floor and photographers cram around as a qualified nurse comes to the rostrum to take the necessary mouth swab samples. It’s a great fun story for the press, but more importantly, more exclusive, ground-breaking content for the Opus.

After a Q&A with the press and guests (including one or two surreal questions. For example: “Vivienne Westwood has done an Opus – will she be involved in your book?” Er, probably not!), Sachin does one more short interview for a select group of journalists and his work is done. It’s been a long day, but Sachin couldn’t have been more courteous and helpful throughout.

After signing a few more autographs, our two security men help him through the crowds to his car and he is away.

I’m exhausted – I feel like I’ve been to the gym in a suit! – but everyone from the Opus staff to the guests and journalists agree it’s been a fantastic day. I stay on for a quick glass of wine and then grab a taxi to meet up with the Kraken management and Sachin’s family and friends for dinner at The Cinnamon Club – their brilliant executive chef, Vivek Singh, has invited us. I have chat to Sachin’s wife, Anjali, who is a charming as her husband, and we all get to eat more fantastic food.

Around 11, it’s time to go home, but he leaves Sachin thanks each of us personally for our help during the day. It’s been a pleasure. Having met him at last, I’m really impressed and even more certain that the Tendulkar Opus will be an incredible publication, because he is obviously an intelligent guy and totally committed to the project.