Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar is considered by all cricket fans and players to be the best cricketer not only in India but also in the world. The legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who has earned a name for himself as perhaps the best batsman in the history of cricket with his unmatched consistency, longevity, hunger for runs and the courage to face some of the best teams and bowlers in the world, turned 52 on Thursday, April 24.
Tendulkar is a household name not only in India but in all the major cricketing nations of the world. Many of the world's greatest batsmen and leaders like Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni etc. owe their strokeplay, passion for the game and match-winning ability to the Master Blaster.
Born in Maharashtra, the player made his Test debut on November 15, 1989, at the age of 16. He also received his first ODI cap on December 18, the same year. Over the years, due to injuries, team situations, age, circumstances, etc., he kept reinventing, upgrading and improving. With his amazing range of strokes, Sachin amassed 34,357 runs in 664 international matches at an average of 48.52.
Sachin is the highest run-scorer in international cricket. He has scored 100 centuries and 164 half-centuries, the most in international cricket. He is the only batsman to have scored centuries. He went on to become the undisputed greatest batsman in Test cricket. He scored 15,921 runs in 200 matches at a batting average of 53.78. He scored 51 Test centuries against bowling attacks and conditions that would have troubled some of the most talented star players. During this time, Sachin scored 51 Test centuries, the most by any player.
After scoring 18,426 ODI runs at an average of 44.83 in 463 matches, with 49 centuries and 96 half-centuries, Sachin went from being a middle-order batsman to becoming the greatest ODI batsman and opener of all time. The Master Blaster is the first cricketer to score a double century in an ODI against South Africa in Gwalior in February 2010 and to play a total of 200 Test matches.
Overall, Sachin is the highest run-scorer in the history of the Cricket World Cup. In 44 innings in 45 matches, he has scored 2,278 runs at an average of 56.95, including six centuries and 15 half-centuries. His best score in the tournament is 152.