“Cricket is my first love. I hate losing. And once I enter the ground, it is a different zone. The hunger for winning is never-ending.”
Sachin Tendulkar (The Indian Cricket’s Master Blaster)
This name needs no introduction, right? Among a few synonyms, his fans call him the God of Cricket and the Little Master. To complement the 46 years old Sachin Tendulkar every praise falls short! He was introduced to the game when he was only 11. Since then he ruled the cricket landscape for two decades.
From fetching prestigious awards like Bharat Ratna to Padma Vibhushan and facing criticism for his mediocre performances in the Indian cricket team the Mumbai-based legend has seen it all. He was nominated to Rajya Sabha in 2012 and earned some of the highest recognitions in sports such as the Arjuna Award and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
Sachin is one of the luckiest chaps who have witnessed the evolution of the game from lengthy test innings to exciting Twenty20 matches. This is the reason why Sachin’s fan base comprises people who love classic cricket and the fantasy cricket lovers both.
Yes, the concept of online fantasy cricket is quite new to India as it has gained traction in the past few years. The idea behind the same is to let cricket enthusiasts’ cherry-pick their favorites and build virtual teams.
Sachin is one of the greatest batsmen who got picked by millions of fantasy fans and helped them earn lucrative rewards with the help of his phenomenal performances. His journey hasn’t been so easy all the time. This is beyond interesting so why not grab our share of this epic voyage and relive some of his best moments and struggles.
Do You Know About Sachin’s Early Life? Also, How He Entered The Indian Team Squad?
Our Little Master was born into a Brahmin family in Mumbai on 24th April 1973 where his father was a novelist and mother worked in the insurance niche. He was named after his family’s favorite music director Sachin Dev Burman. Most of his childhood was spent in Bandra. He was inclined towards the game from a young age.
This passion and determination for the sport started bearing fruits for Sachin Tendulkar as he made a record of scoring 326 runs in a school match. Soon he became a cricket sensation among his school-mates. After joining college his passion for the game got even more intense.
At the age of 15, Tendulkar scored 100 runs in his domestic debut match for Mumbai in 1988 which has made him the youngest cricketer to do the same. In the subsequent year, Sachin played his debut international cricket match against Pakistan where showed his strength by declining medical aid even after the Pakistani’s spinner Waqar Younis accidentally hit him in the face.
How Was The Little Master’s Cricket Voyage & How He Grown From A Batsman To A Legend?
From the kind of spirit that he showcased in his debut match the India national cricket team, as well as the cricket fans, all were sure that this guy has something in him which would make him a superstar one day. Things happened the same way and Sachin Tendulkar became one of the biggest names in the cricket world.
But there have been incidents where the gem had to struggle with his form and faced criticism for the same. It’s impossible to relive every match played by him so let’s travel down the memory lane and explore some of his classics to date.
One of the initial tournaments where Sachin showed his potential was the World Cup 1996. Even though India lost in the semi-finals this inventive and aggressive batsman earned the recognition for being the championship’s leading scorer with 523 runs to his name. Due to his remarkable innings, he named as the caption of the Indian cricket squad at the age of 23.
Sachin’s captaincy tenure hasn’t been that well for the legend and hence he was relieved from the position in 1998. A year after he was reappointed to the slot but that was also short-lived. The Blue Tigers played 25 matches under Tendulkar’s captaincy but won only 4. In spite of his failures as a caption, the batting rock star continued to make the nation proud.
In 1998, Sachin Tendulkar scored a double-century against Australia which even made the opponent skipper Mark Taylor quote these words: “We didn’t lose to a team called India but we lost to a man called Sachin.” This short-stature batsman was famous for his nervous nineties as he has been knocked out 18 times between the score of 90 and 99. He never allowed these shortcomings overpower his mind and continued to perform excellently throughout his career.
Tendulkar surpassed the world record of Don Bradman by hitting the 30th test century of his career in 2002 against England. Once again he destroyed the Aussies in 2004 by hitting unbeaten 241 runs. His remarkable performances continued and in 2008 he broke Brian Lara’s record of highest test runs.
Another benchmark for the Little Master was the 2011 World Cup when his team won the title against Sri Lanka and his batting acumen was praised all across the globe. This was his first World Cup win of the career. The Little Master has played as the skipper for the Mumbai Indians team in IPL 2008. He was the icon player for the squad as the owners signed him for whooping US$1,121,250.
In Indian Premier League 2010, Sachin’s squad reached the finals where he scored 618 runs in just 14 innings and earned the player of the tournament award. Besides, Sachin also grabbed the recognition as the Best Batsman and skipper for the season.
His fans were unaware of the fact that immediately in the next year their beloved batting wizard ODI career is going to be ceased. Yes, Sachin Tendulkar took retirement from one day cricket in 2012 and in 2013 he got retired from all the formats of the game.
What Are Some Of The Most Memorable Accomplishments & World Records Made By The Little Master?
Compiling the journey and achievements of this legend in a few words is impossible but there are a couple of records that are worth cherishing forever. Let’s explore some of these in detail:
I. Sachin is the first cricketer to score 35 centuries in test matches and the second youngest chap to hit 100 runs in the same format.
II. The Indian batting star is the first international cricketer to sign with esteemed England’s storied Yorkshire club.
III. Sachin Tendulkar is the first player to score 10000 runs in ODI matches.
IV. He was named the International Cricket Council Cricketer of the Year in 2010.
V. Sachin is the first player to score a double century in ODI and the first batsman to hit 2000 runs and 6 centuries in World Cup championships.
VI. Tendulkar has 100 centuries and more than 34000 runs to his name in international cricket.
VII. Sachin is the first sportsman and the youngest person to receive the most prestigious Indian civilian honor the Bharat Ratna.
VIII. The Master Blaster has won the most man of the match (62) and man of the series (15) awards in his career.
IX. Tendulkar was included in the list of “Most Influential People in the World” – Time 100 List.
X. As the first UNICEF brand ambassador for South Asia, he is doing his bit for the betterment of the society.
What’s The Popularity Stats Of Sachin In The Fantasy Cricket Landscape?
Sachin is one of those cricket stars who is equally loved by people from every age group. The ones drooling for watching classic cricket adored his batting acumen and die-hard fans of the fantasy cricket league also cherished building their virtual teams by picking this legend. His massive popularity has never made him arrogant and he has always been humble with everyone.
How Life Is Treating The Master Blaster Post His Retirement?
After taking retirement from International cricket Sachin’s most of the time is spent in doing charity. Also, he has released his autobiography named ‘Playing It My Way’ which is quite popular among his fans. In 2015, Tendulkar has also named the skipper of an all-star team for a couple of exhibition matches held in the US that was part of an effort to make Americans familiar with the game.
Do We Forget Sachin’s Personal Side?
Sachin Tendulkar got hitched in 1995 to a former pediatrician Anjali and the couple is blessed with two kids named Sara and Arjun Tendulkar. On one hand, the Little Master’s son is following his footsteps and pursuing cricket his daughter on the other has taken inspiration from her mother and is a medical graduate.
The Little Master has ruled the cricket landscape for more than two decades by showcasing his talent and consistency. He has earned a spot for one of the greatest batsmen in cricket’s history as the list of his records and achievements is unending. Also, this legendary batsman has never got his name spoiled because of being stuck in any controversy and maintained his dignity throughout.
Sachin Tendulkar has inspired millions of youth to pursue the game with sheer determination and passion. After his retirement as well, his fans expect that he continue guiding the Indian cricket players so that they can perform their best in the upcoming tournaments. People have worshipped Sachin like the God of the game and his journey will forever be cherished in everyone’s hearts.
