Legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, widely regarded as the greatest batter in the history of cricket, turned 52 on Thursday. Renowned for his unmatched consistency, longevity, hunger for runs, and fearless strokeplay against the world’s best, Tendulkar remains a name revered across cricketing nations far beyond India’s borders.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that modern cricket owes much of its popularity, competitiveness, and commercial success to the ‘Master Blaster’. His legacy has inspired generations of players, including current greats like Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, MS Dhoni, and Virender Sehwag, who credit Sachin’s genius for shaping their games and aspirations.
Born in Maharashtra, Tendulkar made his Test debut at just 16 on November 15, 1989, followed by his ODI debut a month later on December 18. Over a glorious career, he adapted and evolved his batting across formats, conditions, and eras—amassing a staggering 34,357 international runs in 664 matches at an average of 48.52.
He holds the record for most runs in international cricket and is the only player to score 100 international centuries—a feat unmatched in the sport. With 164 half-centuries, Tendulkar’s numbers speak to both his dominance and longevity.
In Test cricket, he scored 15,921 runs in 200 matches at an average of 53.78, including 51 centuries—the most in the format. In ODIs, he amassed 18,426 runs in 463 matches, averaging 44.83 with 49 centuries and 96 fifties. Though his ODI century record was surpassed by Virat Kohli during the 2023 World Cup, the immense respect shown by Kohli at Tendulkar’s home ground—Wankhede Stadium—proved that numbers alone can’t define the legend known as the “God of Cricket.”
Tendulkar was also the first-ever cricketer to score a double century in ODIs, against South Africa in Gwalior in 2010, and remains the only player to feature in 200 Test matches.
After debuting in the ICC World Cup in 1992, Tendulkar finally fulfilled his lifelong dream by lifting the trophy in 2011, when India beat Sri Lanka in the final. Fittingly, he was India’s top run-scorer in that tournament, with 482 runs in nine matches, including two centuries and two fifties. That magical night at Wankhede, the very ground he once entered as a boy wonder, marked the pinnacle of his illustrious career.
He is the highest run-scorer in World Cup history, with 2,278 runs in 45 matches at an average of 56.95, including six centuries and 15 fifties. Even in high-pressure knockout matches, he delivered—scoring 339 runs in seven matches at 48.42, with four fifties.
In the ICC Champions Trophy, though he didn’t win a title, Tendulkar played five editions and scored 441 runs in 16 matches at an average of 36.75, with one century and one fifty. His overall record in ICC tournaments stands at 2,719 runs in 61 matches at 49.43, including seven centuries and 16 fifties.
While Tendulkar featured in just one T20I, he embraced the shortest format in the IPL, representing Mumbai Indians (MI). In 78 matches, he scored 2,334 runs at an average of 34.83 and a strike rate of 119.81, with one century and 13 fifties. He won the IPL title with MI in 2013 and claimed the Orange Cap in 2010, scoring 618 runs in 15 matches at an average of 47.53.
From a precocious teenager to the most celebrated cricketer in history, Sachin Tendulkar’s journey has left an indelible mark on the sport. As he celebrates another milestone, the world continues to salute a once-in-a-lifetime icon whose name is synonymous with cricket itself.
(With ANI inputs)
