Sachin Tendulkar — Master Blaster of Indian Cricket



Sachin Tendulkar is one of the most celebrated cricketers in the history of the sport. A right-handed batsman, he represented India internationally for 24 years and became the first male cricketer to score 100 international centuries. He was a key member of India's 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup-winning team.


Basic Information


Particular Details


Full Name Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Born 24 April 1973

Birthplace Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra

Profession Cricketer

Batting Right-handed

Bowling Right-arm medium / off-spin

International Debut 1989

Test Debut 15 November 1989

ODI Debut 18 December 1989

International Career 1989–2013

Major Team India

Jersey Number 10

World Cup Victory 2011

Bharat Ratna 2014

Retirement 2013



Early Life


Sachin Tendulkar was born on 24 April 1973 in Bombay.


His father, Ramesh Tendulkar, was a Marathi novelist and poet. His mother, Rajni Tendulkar, worked in the insurance sector.


Sachin developed an interest in cricket during childhood. His elder brother Ajit Tendulkar recognised his talent and encouraged him to pursue cricket seriously.


He was taken to coach Ramakant Achrekar, who became one of the most influential figures in his cricketing development.


School Cricket


Sachin attended Sharadashram Vidyamandir School in Mumbai.


Under Achrekar's guidance, he developed his batting technique and became a prominent young cricketer.


In 1988, Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli created a remarkable partnership in an inter-school match, scoring 664 runs together.


Sachin's performance in school cricket attracted national attention.


First-Class Cricket


Tendulkar made his first-class debut for Bombay in the 1988–89 season.


He scored a century in his debut first-class match.


He subsequently established himself as one of India's most promising young batsmen.


International Debut


Sachin made his Test debut against Pakistan in Karachi on 15 November 1989.


He was only 16 years old.


He made his ODI debut against Pakistan on:


18 December 1989


His international career therefore began against Pakistan in both formats.


Rise to International Stardom


During the 1990s, Tendulkar developed into India's leading batsman.


His combination of:


technically sound batting;


exceptional concentration;


powerful stroke play;


adaptability;


consistency



made him one of the most difficult batsmen in world cricket.


First Test Century


Tendulkar scored his first Test century against England at Old Trafford, Manchester, in 1990.


He remained unbeaten on 119.


This innings was an early indication of his extraordinary potential.


Captain of India


Tendulkar served as captain of the Indian cricket team on two occasions:


1996–1997


1999–2000



Although his captaincy periods were not particularly successful in terms of team results, his individual batting remained outstanding.


1996 Cricket World Cup


The 1996 Cricket World Cup was an important tournament in Tendulkar's career.


He finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer, scoring 523 runs.


India reached the semi-final but lost to Sri Lanka.


2003 Cricket World Cup


Tendulkar was outstanding in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.


He scored:


673 runs


which remains one of the highest individual tournament aggregates in World Cup history.


He won the:


Player of the Tournament


award.


India reached the final but lost to Australia.


Historic Double Century in ODI Cricket


On 24 February 2010, Tendulkar became the first male cricketer to score 200 runs in a One Day International.


He scored:


200 not out


against South Africa at Gwalior.


This was a landmark achievement in ODI cricket.


100 International Centuries


On 16 March 2012, Tendulkar scored his:


100th international century


against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup.


He became the first cricketer in international cricket to reach 100 centuries.


His total was:


51 Test centuries


49 ODI centuries



2011 Cricket World Cup


One of the greatest moments of Tendulkar's career came during the:


2011 ICC Cricket World Cup


held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.


Tendulkar scored 482 runs during the tournament.


India defeated Sri Lanka in the final at Mumbai on 2 April 2011.


India won the World Cup for the first time since 1983.


For Tendulkar, the victory was particularly significant because it fulfilled his long-standing ambition of winning the World Cup with India.


Final International Match


Tendulkar played his 200th and final Test match against the West Indies at Mumbai.


The match took place from:


14–16 November 2013


He announced his retirement from international cricket after the match.


His international career lasted approximately:


24 years


International Records


Tendulkar accumulated extraordinary international statistics.


Test Cricket


200 Tests


15,921 runs


51 centuries


68 half-centuries


Highest Test score: 248 not out



ODI Cricket


463 matches


18,426 runs


49 centuries


96 half-centuries


Highest ODI score: 200 not out



International Cricket


Across Tests and ODIs, he scored:


34,357 international runs


and:


100 international centuries


These figures made him one of the most statistically successful batsmen in cricket history.


Indian Premier League


Tendulkar also played in the Indian Premier League (IPL).


He represented:


Mumbai Indians


He was part of the franchise from the inaugural IPL season.


He received the:


Orange Cap


in the 2010 IPL season after scoring 618 runs.


He was also the captain of Mumbai Indians for several seasons.


Awards and Honours


Arjuna Award — 1994


Awarded for his outstanding sporting achievements.


Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna — 1997–98


India's highest sporting honour at the time.


Padma Shri — 1999


One of India's highest civilian honours.


Padma Vibhushan — 2008


India's second-highest civilian award.


Bharat Ratna — 2014


Tendulkar became the first sportsperson to receive the Bharat Ratna.


He was also the youngest recipient of the award at the time.


Parliament


Sachin Tendulkar was nominated to the:


Rajya Sabha


in 2012.


He served as a nominated Member of Parliament until 2018.


Biographies and Books


Important books associated with Tendulkar include:


Playing It My Way


His autobiography, written with Boria Majumdar, was published in 2014.


The book describes his cricketing journey and experiences in international cricket.


Retirement


Sachin Tendulkar retired from international cricket in November 2013 after his 200th Test match.


His retirement marked the end of one of the longest and most celebrated careers in international cricket.


Legacy


Sachin Tendulkar's importance goes beyond his records.


He became a symbol of Indian cricket for generations of fans.


His career is particularly remembered for:


extraordinary longevity;


technical excellence;


consistency;


sportsmanship;


100 international centuries;


2011 World Cup victory;


200 Test matches;


more than 34,000 international runs.



He is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket.


Important Timeline


Year Event


1973 Born on 24 April

1988 Record school partnership with Vinod Kambli

1988–89 First-class debut for Bombay

1989 Test and ODI debut

1990 First Test century

1994 Arjuna Award

1996 Leading run-scorer in World Cup

1997–98 Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna

1999 Padma Shri

2003 World Cup Player of the Tournament

2008 Padma Vibhushan

2010 First male cricketer to score an ODI double century

2011 India won Cricket World Cup

2012 100th international century; nominated to Rajya Sabha

2013 Retired after 200th Test

2014 Bharat Ratna

2018 Completed Rajya Sabha term



Quick Revision


1. Full name — Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.



2. Born — 24 April 1973.



3. Birthplace — Mumbai.



4. Coach — Ramakant Achrekar.



5. International debut — 1989.



6. Test debut — Pakistan, Karachi.



7. First Test century — England, 1990.



8. First male ODI double-centurion — 2010.



9. 100th international century — 2012.



10. World Cup victory — 2011.



11. Final international match — 2013.



12. Test matches — 200.



13. ODI matches — 463.



14. International centuries — 100.



15. Bharat Ratna — 2014.



16. Rajya Sabha — 2012–2018.



17. IPL team — Mumbai Indians.



18. Popular titles — “Master Blaster” and “Little Master”.




One-Line Revision


Sachin Tendulkar → International debut (1989) → First Test century (1990) → World Cup Player of Tournament (2003) → ODI double century (2010) → 2011 World Cup → 100 international centuries (2012) → 200th Test & retirement (2013) → Bharat Ratna (2014).


Sources


BCCI — Board of Control for Cricket in India


ICC — International Cricket Council


Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India


President of India / Rashtrapati Bhavan


Rajya Sabha, Parliament of India


Padma Awards, Government of India


Bharat Ratna official records

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