ʃ ɪ n Sachin Tendulkar ( ( /ˌsət ʃ n tɛ nˈduː lk lkər/; born 24 April 1!"# is a former $ndian $ndian cricketer and and captain captain,, %idely ackno%led&ed as one of the &reatest batsmen batsmen of of all time' i
e took up cricket at the a&e of ele-en, made his .est .est debut debut on 1* o-ember 10 a&ainst akistan akistan in in arachi at the a&e a& e of si3teen, and %ent on to represent representumbai umbai domestically domestically and $ndia and $ndia internationally for close to t%enty5four years' e is the only player to ha-e scored one hundred international centuries, centuries, the first batsman to score a double century in century in a 6ne 7ay $nternational,, the only player to complete more than "8,888 $nternational "8,888 runs runs in in international cricket'0) and the 1+th player and first $ndian to a&&re&ate *8,888 runs or more in all forms of domestic and international reco&nised cricket') 4) 4)*) *)+) +)!) !)
$n 2882 9ust half %ay throu&h his career, career, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ranked him the second &reatest .est .est batsman of all time, behind 7on :radman, :radman, and the second &reatest 67$ batsman of all time, behind i- <ichards' <ichards'18) =ater in his career, .endulkar .endulkar %as a part of the $ndian team that %on the 2811 World >up, the >up, his first %in in si3 World >up >up appearances for $ndia'11) e had pre-iously been named ?layer of the .ournament? .ournament? at the288" the 288" edition of the tournament, tournament , held in @outh Africa' $n 281", he %as the only $ndian cricketer included in an all5time .est World $ named to mark the 1*8th 12)1") 1")14) 14) anni-ersary of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack '12) .endulkar recei-ed the the Ar9una Ar9una A%ard A%ard in in 14 for his outstandin& sportin& achie-ement, the <a9iBandhi hel <atna a%ard <atna a%ard in 1!, $ndiaCs hi&hest h i&hest sportin& honour, and the the adma @hri @hri and adma ibhushan a%ards ibhushan a%ards in 1 and 2880, respecti-ely, $ndiaCs $ndiaCs fourth and second hi&hest ci-ilian a%ards' After a fe% hours of of his final match on 1+ o-ember o-ember 281", the rime inisterCs 6ffice announced 6ffice announced 1*)1+) 1*) 1+) the decision to a%ard him the the :harat <atna, <atna, $ndiaCs hi&hest ci-ilian a%ard' e is the youn&est recipient to date and the first e-er sportsperson to recei-e the a%ard' 1!)10) e also %on the 2818 @ir Barfield @obers .rophy for .rophy for cricketer of the year at the $>> a%ards'1)$n 2812, .endulkar %as nominated to the <a9ya @abha, @abha, the upper house of the arliament of $ndia' $ndia'28) e %as also the first sportsperson and the first person %ithout an a-iation back&round to be a%arded the honorary rank of &roup captain captain by the $ndian Air Force' Force'21) $n 2812, he %as named an onorary ember of the 6rder 22)2") 2") of Australia' Australia'22) $n 7ecember 2812, .endulkar announced his retirement from 67$s' 24) e retired from .%enty28 .%enty28 2*) cricket in 6ctober 281" and subseDuently announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, 2+) 2!) retirin& on 1+ o-ember 281" after playin& his his 288th and final .est .est match, match, a&ainst the West $ndies in $ndies in umbaiCs umbaiCs Wankhede @tadium' @tadium'20) .e .endulkar ndulkar played ++4 international cricket matches in total, scorin& "4,"*! runs'0) Contents hide)) hide •
1 Earl Early y year years s
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2 Early domestic career o
2'1 2' 1 orks orkshir hire e " $nternational career
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"'1 Earl Early y care career er
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"'2 <ise throu&h the ranks
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"'" >apt >aptainc aincy y
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"'4 ike 7enness incident inciden t
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"'* $n9uries and decline amid surpassin& :radmanCs haul
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"'+ <eturn to old form and consiste consistency ncy
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"'! 288!G80 tour of Australia
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"'0 ome series a&ainst a&ain st @outh Africa
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"' @ri =an =anka ka @eries
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"'18 <eturn to form and breakin& :rian =araCs record
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"'11 67$ and .est .est @eries a&ainst a&a inst En&land En&lan d
Early years .endulkar ndulkar %as born at irmal ursin& ome on 24 April 1!"' 2) is father, <amesh .endulkar, %as .e a %ell5kno%n %ell5kno%n arathi arathi no-elist no-elist and his mother, <a9ni, %orked in the insurance i nsurance industry'"8) <amesh named .endulkar .endulkar after his fa-ourite music director, director, @achin 7e- :urman' :urman' .endulkar .endulkar has three elder siblin&sH t%o half5brothers itin and A9it, and a half5sister @a-ita' .hey %ere <ameshCs children from his first marria&e' marria&e'"1) e spent his formati-e years in the Sahitya Sahawas Cooperatie !ousin Society , :andra (East#' (East#' As a youn& boy, .endulkar .endulkar %as considered a bully, and often picked up fi&hts %ith ne% children in his school'"2) e also sho%ed an interest in tennis, idolisin& Iohn cEnroe' cEnroe'"") .o help curb his mischie-ous and bullyin& tendencies, A9it introduced him to cricket in 104' e introduced the youn& @achin to <amakant Achrekar , a famous cricket coach and a club cricketer of repute, at @hi-a9i ark, ark, 7adar ' $n the first meetin&, the youn& @achin did not play his best' A9it told Achrekar that he %as feelin& feelin& self5conscious due to the coach coach obser-in& him, and %as not displayin& his natural &ame' A9it reDuested the coach to &i-e him another chance at playin&, but %atch %hile hidin& behind a tree' .his time, @achin, apparently unobser-ed, played much better and %as accepted at AchrekarCs academy'citation needed ) A9it is ten years elder and is credited by @achin for playin& a pi-otal role in his life' citation needed ) Achrekar %as impressed %ith .e .endulkarCs ndulkarCs talent and ad-ised him to shift his schoolin& to @haradashram idyamandir (En&lish# i&h @chool, 1) a school at 7adar %hich had a dominant cricket team and had produced many notable cricketers'"4) rior to this, .endulkar .endulkar had attended the $ndian "4) Education @ocietyCs e% En&lish @chool in :andra (East#' e %as also coached under the &uidance of Achrekar at @hi-a9i ark in the mornin&s and e-enin&s' "*) .e .endulkar ndulkar %ould practice for hours on end in the nets' $f he became e3hausted, Achrekar %ould put a one5rupee one5 rupee coin on the top of the stumps stumps,, and the bo%ler %ho dismissed .endulkar %ould &et the coin' $f .endulkar .endulkar passed the %hole session %ithout &ettin& dismissed, the coach %ould &i-e him the coin' .endulkar .endulkar no% considers the 1" coins he %on then as some of his most priJed possessions'"+) e mo-ed in %ith his aunt and uncle, %ho li-ed near @hi-a9i ark, durin& this period, due to his hectic schedule' "4)
@achin .endulkar and his %ife An9ali
ean%hile at school, he de-eloped a reputation as a child prodi&y' e had become a common con-ersation point in local cricketin& circles, %here there %ere su&&estions already that he %ould become one of the &reats' @achin consistently featured in his school @hardashram idyamandir (En&lish# team in the atun&a Bu9arati @e-a andal (popularly coined B@# @hield' "!) :esides school cricket, he also played club cricket, initially representin& Iohn :ri&ht >ricket >lub in umbaiCs premier club cricket tournament, the an&a =ea&ue, "4) and later %ent on to play for the >ricket >lub "0)") ")48) 48) of $ndia' $ndia'"0) $n 10!, at the a&e of 14, he attended the <F ace Foundation Foundation in adras (no% >hennai >hennai## to train as a fast bo%ler , but Australian fast bo%ler 7ennis =illee, =illee, %ho took a %orld record "** .est .est %ickets, %as unimpressed, su&&estin& that .endulkar .endulkar focus on his battin& instead' 41) 6n 28 Ianuary 10!, he also turned out as substitute for $mran hanC hanCs side in an e3hibition &ame at :rabourne @tadium in umbai, to mark the &olden 9ubilee of >ricket >lub of $ndia' $ndia'42) A couple of months later, former $ndian batsman @unil Ba-askar &a-e him a pair of his o%n ultra li&ht pads and consoled him to not &et disheartened for not &ettin& the umbai >ricket AssociationCs ?:est 9unior cricket a%ard? (e %as 14 years that time#' ?$t %as the &reatest source of encoura&ement for me,? .endulkar .e ndulkar said nearly 28 years later after surpassin& Ba-askarCs %orld record of "4 .est centuries'4") 44) @achin ser-ed as a ball boy in boy in the 10! >ricket World >up >up %hen $ndia played a&ainst En&land in 4*)4+) 4*) 4+) the semifinal in umbai umbai'' $n his season in 100, .endulkar .endulkar scored a century in e-ery innin&s he played' e %as in-ol-ed in an unbroken ++45run partnership partnership in a =ord arris @hield inter5school &ame a&ainst @t' a-ierCs i&h @chool in 100 %ith his friend and team5mate inod ambli, ambli, %ho %ould also &o on to represent $ndia' .he destructi-e pair reduced one bo%ler to tears and made the rest of the opposition un%illin& to continue the &ame' .endulkar .endulkar scored "2+ (not out# in this innin&s 4!) and scored o-er a thousand runs in the tournament' .his %as a record partnership in any form of cricket yderabad in in $ndia'40)until 288+, %hen it %as broken by t%o under51" batsmen in a match held at yderabad
Early domestic career 6n 14 o-ember 10!, .endulkar .endulkar %as selected to represent umbai umbai in the <an9i .rophy, .rophy, $ndiaCs premier domestic domestic First5class cricket tournament, cricket tournament, for the 10!G00 season' o%e-er, he %as not selected for the final ele-en in any of the matches, thou&h he %as often used as a substitute fielder' "4) e narro%ly missed out on playin& alon&side his idol Ba-askar, %ho had retired from all forms of cricket after the 10! >ricket World >up' >up '"4) A year later, on 11 7ecember 100, a&ed 9ust 1* years and 2"2 days, .endulkar .endulkar made his debut for umbai a&ainst Bu9arat Bu9arat at at home and scored 188 not out in that match, makin& him the youn&est $ndian to score a century on debut d ebut in first5class cricket' e %as handpicked to play for the team by the then umbai captain captain 7ilip en&sarka en&sarkar r after after %atchin& him easily ne&otiatin& $ndiaCs best fast bo%ler at the time, apil 7e-, 7e-, in the the Wankhede @tadium nets, @tadium nets, 1) %here the the $ndian team team had come to play a&ainst the tourin& tourin& e% Kealand team' team' e follo%ed this by scorin& a century in his first 7eodhar and and 7uleep .rophies, .rophies, %hich are also $ndian domestic tournaments'4) .endulkar finished the 100G0 season as umbaiCs hi&hest run5scorer' e scored *0" runs at an .endulkar a-era&e of +!'!!, and %as the si3th hi&hest run5scorer o-erall *8)e also made an unbeaten century in the the $rani .rophy match .rophy match a&ainst 7elhi 7elhi at the start of the 10G8 season, playin& for the <est of $ndia'*1) @achin %as picked for a youn& $ndian team to tour En&land t%ice, t %ice, under the @tar >ricket *2) >lub banner in 100 and 10' $n the famous 18G1 <an9i .rophy final, in %hich aryana aryanadefeated defeated umbai by t%o runs after leadin& in the first innin&s, .endulkarCs .endulkarCs + from !* deli-eries %as a key to &i-in& &i-i n& umbai a chance of -ictory as it attempted to chase "** from only !8 o-ers on the final day'*") is first double century (284L# %as for umbai %hile playin& a&ainst the -isitin& Australian team at the :rabourne @tadium in the @tadium in 10'1)*4) e is the only player to score a century on debut in all three of his domestic first5class tournaments (the <an9i, $rani, and 7uleep .rophies#' **) Another Another double *+)*!) *0) semi5finals of the 2888 century %asasanone innin&s 2""Linnin&s a&ainstof.amil adu *+) adu in*!)*0) the 2888 <an9i .rophy, .rophy, %hich he re&ards of theofbest his career'
Yorkshire Yo rkshire $n 12, at the a&e of 1, .endulkar .endulkar became the first o-erseas5born player to represent orkshire orkshire,, %hich prior to .endulkar .endulkar 9oinin& the team, ne-er selected players pla yers e-en from other En&lish counties' 1) ote 1) @elected for orkshire orkshire as a replacement for the in9ured in9ured Australian Australian fast fast bo%ler >rai& c7ermott, c7ermott, .endulkar .e ndulkar played 1+ first5class matches for the county and scored 18!8 runs at an a-era&e of 4+'*2' *)
International career Early career
<a9 @in&h 7un&arpur is is credited for the selection of .endulkar .endulkar for the $ndian tour of akistan akistan in in late 10,+8) and that too after 9ust one first class season'+1) .he $ndian selection committee had sho%n interest in selectin& .endulkar for the tour of the West $ndies held $ndies held earlier that year, but e-entually did not select him, as they did not %ant him to be e3posed to the dominant fast bo%lers of the West $ndies so early in his career' .endulkar .endulkar made his .est .est debut debut a&ainst akistan in arachi in o-ember 10 a&ed 9ust 1+ years and 28* days' e made 9ust 1* runs, bein& bo%led by 10 by WaDar ounis, ounis, %ho also made his debut in that match, but %as noted for ho% he handled numerous blo%s to his body at the hands of the akistani pace attack' +2) $n the fourth and final .est in @ialkot @ialkot,, he %as hit on the nose by a bouncer bo%led by ounis, ounis, but he declined medical assistance and continued to bat e-en as he &ushed blood from it'+") $n a 285o-er e3hibition &ame in esha%ar , held in parallel %ith the bilateral series, .endulkar .endulkar made *" runs off 10 balls, includin& an o-er in %hich he scored 2! runs (+, +4)
4, +,then +, +#$ndian off le&5spinner Abdul le&5spinner Abdul Madir ' .his %as later of the best innin&s $ ha-e seen? by 8, the captain rishnamachari @rikkanth @rikkanth' '+*) $ncalled all, he?one scored 21* runs at an a-era&e of "*'0" in the .est .est series, and %as dismissed %ithout scorin& a run in the only 6ne 7ay ++)+!) +!) $nternational (67$# $nternational (67$# he played'++) .hus @achin .endulkar .endulkar became the youn&est player to debut for $ndia in .ests .ests at the a&e of 1+ years and 28* days and also the youn&est player to debut for $ndia +0)+) +) in 67$s 67$s at at the a&e of 1+ years and 2"0 days' +0) .he series %as follo%ed by a tour of e% Kealand in %hich he scored 11! runs at an a-era&e of 2'2* in .ests .ests includin& an innin&s of 00 in the second .est' .est' !8) e %as dismissed %ithout scorin& in one of the t%o one5day &ames he played, and scored "+ in i n the other'!1) 6n his ne3t tour, to En&land in IulyGAu&ust 18, he became the second youn&est cricketer to score a .est .est century as he made 11 not out in the second .est at 6ld .rafford in .rafford in anchester '+") Wisden Wisden described his innin&s as ?a disciplined display of immense maturity? and also %roteH!2) e looked the embodiment of $ndiaCs famous opener, Ba-askar, Ba-askar, and indeed %as %earin& a pair of his pads' While he displayed a full repertoire of strokes in compilin& his maiden .est .est hundred, most remarkable %ere his off5side shots from the back foot' .hou&h only *ft *in tall, he %as still able to control %ithout difficulty short deli-eries from the En&lish pacemen' .endulkar further enhanced his reputation as a future &reat durin& the 11G2 tour of Australia .endulkar Australia held before the 12 >ricket World >up, >up, that included an unbeaten 140 in the third .est .est at @ydney @ydney and 114 11 4 on a fast, bouncin& pitch in the final .est at erth erth a&ainst a&ainst a pace attack comprisin& eru&hes,, :ruce <eid and u&hes <eid and >rai& c7ermott' c7ermott' u&hes commented to Allan to Allan :order at at the time that ?.his !") little prickCs &oin& to &et more runs than you, A:'?
Rise through the ranks .endulkarCs ndulkarCs performance throu&h the years 14G1 coincided %ith his physical peak, in his early e arly .e t%enties' 6n the day of the indu indu festi-al oli oli,, .endulkar .endulkar %as told to open the battin& at Auckland at Auckland a&ainst a&ainst e% Kealand in 14' !4) e %ent on to make 02 runs off 4 balls' e scored his first 67$ century on @eptember 14 a&ainst Australia in @ri =anka at =anka at >olombo >olombo''!*) $t took him ! 67$s to score his first century'
.e .endulkar ndulkar %aits at the bo%lerCs end'
.endulkarCs rise continued %hen he %as the leadin& run scorer at the 1+ World >up, .endulkarCs >up, scorin& t%o !+) centuries'' e %as the only $ndian batsman to perform in the semi5final a&ainst @ri =anka' centuries .endulkar .e ndulkar fell amid a battin& collapse coll apse and the match referee, >li-e =loyd =loyd a%arded @ri =anka the match after the cro%d be&an riotin& and thro%in& litter onto the field' !!) After the World >up, >up, in the same year a&ainst akistan at @har9ah @har9ah,, $ndian captain captain ohammed AJharuddin %as AJharuddin %as &oin& throu&h a lean patch' .endulkar .endulkar and and a-9ot @in&h @idhu both @idhu both made centuries to set a then record partnership for the second %icket' After &ettin& out, .endulkar .endulkar found AJharuddin citation needed ) in t%o minds about %hether he should bat' .endulkarr con-inced AJharuddin to bat and .endulka AJharuddin subseDuently unleashed 24 runs off 9ust one o-er' o-er'!0) $ndia %ent on to %in that match' $t enabled $ndia to post a score in e3cess of "88 runs for the first time in an 67$' !) .his %as the be&innin& of a period at the top of the battin& %orld, culminatin& in the Australian tour of $ndia in early 10, %ith .endulkar scorin& three consecuti-e centuries' .he focus %as on the clash bet%een @achin .endulkar, .endulkar, the %orldCs most dominatin& batsman and @hane Warne, Warne, and the %orldCs leadin& spinner, both at the peak of their careers, clashin& in a full5fled&ed .est .est series after ! lon& citation needed ) years' $n the lead5up to the series, .endulkar .endulkar famously simulated scenarios in the nets %ith =a3man @i-aramakrishnan, %ith @i-aramakrishnan, the former $ndia le& spinner, donnin& the role of Warne'citation needed ) $n their tour opener, Australia Australia faced the then <an9i >hampions umbai at the the :rabourne @tadium in @tadium in a 08) three5day first class match' match' .e .endulkar ndulkar made an unbeaten 284 as @hane Warne conceded 111 runs 01)02) 02) in 1+ o-ers and Australia lost the match %ithin three days' 01) .hese %ere characterised by a premeditated plan to tar&et Australian spinners @hane Warne and Warne and Ba-in <obertson, <obertson, to %hom he citation needed ) re&ularly char&ed do%n the pitch to dri-e o-er the infield' .his techniDue %orked as $ndia citation needed ) beat Australia in the ensuin& .est series as %ell' e also had a role %ith the ball in the fi-e5 match 67$ series in $ndia follo%in& the .ests, .ests, includin& a fi-e %icket haul in an 67$ in ochi ochi'' @et "18 runs to %in, Australia %ere cruisin& at 28" for " in the "1st o-er %hen .endulkar .endulkar turned the match for $ndia, takin& the %ickets of ichael :e-an, :e-an, @te-e Wau&h, Wau&h, 7arren =ehmann, =ehmann, .o .om m oody ood y and and 7amien 0")
artyn artyn for forin9ust "210 runs in in a18.rian&ular o-ers' .he .esttournament match success %as follo%ed byint%o consecuti-e centuries April cricket tournament in in @har9ah G the first a must5%in &ame to take $ndia to the finals and then a&ain in the finals, both a&ainst Australia tormentin& @hane Warne once a&ain' .hese t%in knocks %ere also kno%n as the 7esert @torm innin&s' @torm innin&s'04) .he innin&s in the finals %as incidentally played on his 2*th birthday' Follo%in& the series Warne ruefully 9oked that he %as ha-in& ni&htmares about his $ndian nemesis'0*) .endulkar sin&le5handedly %on the $>> 10 Duarterfinal at 7haka .endulkar 7haka to pa-e %ay for $ndiaCs entry into the semifinals, %hen he took four Australian %ickets after scorin& 141 runs in 9ust 120 balls' 0+) .he inau&ural Asian inau&ural Asian .est .est >hampionship >hampionship took took place in February and arch 1' eld 9ust t%ice, the 1 championship %as the championship %as contested by $ndia, akistan, and @ri =anka'0!) .he first .est match bet%een $ndia and akistan in Eden Bardens %as pre-iously scheduled as the third .e .est st match of the tournament but later on %as shifted to the first match' $n the first match, .endulkar .endulkar %as run out for nine after collidin& %ith akistan bo%ler @hoaib Akhtar ' Around 188,888 people came to support team $ndia durin& the initial four days of the tournament' .he a&&re&ate .est .est attendance record %hich %as made +" years a&o %as broken durin& this .est' .est'00) .he cro%dCs reaction to the dismissal %as to thro% ob9ects at Akhtar, and the players %ere taken off the field' .he match resumed after
.e .endulkar ndulkar and the president of the $>> appealed to the cro%d, ho%e-er further riotin& meant that the match %as finished in front of a cro%d of 9ust 288 people' people'0) .endulkar scored his 1th .est century in the second .est .est and the match resulted in a dra% %ith @ri =anka' 8) $ndia did not pro&ress to the final, %hich %as %on by akistan, and refused to participate the ne3t time the championship %as held due to increasin& political tensions bet%een $ndia and akistan'1) $n the historic .est a&ainst akistan at >hepauk >hepauk in in 1, the first of a t%o5. t%o5.est est series, @achin scored 1"+ in the fourth innin&s %ith $ndia chasin& 2!1 for -ictory' o%e-er, he he %as out %hen $ndia needed 2)
1! runs to %in, tri&&erin&<amesh a battin&.endulkar, collapse, $ndia father, lost thedied match by middle 12 runs' .he %orst %asmore yet to come as rofessor .e ndulkar, and @achinCs in the of the 1 >ricket World >up' >up' .endulkar .endulkar fle% back to $ndia to attend the final rituals of his father, missin& the match a&ainst Kimbab%e Kimbab%e''") o%e-er, he returned to the World >up scorin& a century (148 not out off 181 balls# in his -ery ne3t ne 3t match a&ainst enya enyain in :ristol' e dedicated this century to his father'4)