Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was born April 24, 1973, in Bombay, India. Given his first cricket bat at the age 11.
Early Years
Largely considered cricket's greatest batsman, Sachin Tendulkar was born April 24, 1973, in Bombay, India, to a middle-class family, the youngest of four children. His father was a professor while his mother worked for a life insurance company.
Named after his family's favorite music
director, Sachin Dev Burman, Tendulkar wasn't a particularly gifted
student, but he'd always shown himself to be a standout athlete. He was
11 years old when he was given his first cricket bat, and his talent in
the sport was immediately apparent. At the age of 14, he scored 329 out
of a world-record stand of 664 in a school match. As his accomplishments
grew, he became a sort of cult figure among Bombay schoolboys.After high school, Tendulkar enrolled at Kirti College, where his father also taught. The fact that he decided to go to the school where his father worked came as no surprise. Tendulkar's family is very close, and years after he'd achieved stardom and cricket fame, he continued to live next door to his parents.
Professional Play
Tendulkar made his debut in international competition at 16 with a match against Pakistan in Karachi. He wasted little time matching the expectations surrounding his arrival on the professional field. At the age of 18 he scored a pair of centuries in Australia, then in 1994 he racked up a score of 179 in a match against the West Indies.Tendulkar was just 23 when he was named captain of his country's team for the 1996 World Cup. While the tournament proved to be a disappointment for his club, Tendulkar did nothing to diminish his own standing as one of the world's dominant players, as he finished out the World Cup as the event's top scorer.
In India, Tendulkar's star shined even brighter. In a country reeling from troubled economic times, the young cricketer was seen as a symbol of hope by his countrymen that better times lay ahead. One national newsweekly went so far as to devote an entire issue to the young cricketer, dubbing him "The Last Hero" for his home country. His style of play—aggressive and inventive—resonated with the sport's fans, as did Tendulkar's unassuming off-the-field living. Even with his increasing wealth, Tendulkar showed humility and refused to flaunt his money.
Tendulkar's dominance of his sport continued even as he moved into his 30s. He scored his record-breaking 35th century in Test play in December 2005 in a match against Sri Lanka, and in June 2007 he set another mark when he became the first player to record 15,000 runs in one-day international play. In January 2010 he again moved into the record books when became the first batsman to score 13,000 runs in Test play. Just one month later, he registered another first, a "double century" in a match against South Africa. That same year he was named the 2010 International Cricket Council Cricketer of the Year.
In April 2011 Tendulkar chalked up another milestone when he led India to a World Cup victory, the first in his long career. During the tournament, the batsman again showed why he's one of the sport's greatest athletes by becoming the first batsman to score 2,000 runs and six centuries in World Cup play.
Post-Cricket Career
On June 4, 2012, Tendulkar was sworn in as Rajya Sabha member at the Parliament House in New Delhi. The following year, he retired from cricket activities across the board and began accumulation post-retirement accolades, notably becoming the first sportsperson and youngest person to be conferred the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, in November 2013.
National honours
- 1994 – Arjuna Award, by the Government of India in recognition of his outstanding achievement in sports.
- 1997–98 – Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest honour given for achievement in sports.
- 1999 – Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award
- 2001 – Maharashtra Bhushan Award, Maharashtra State's highest Civilian Award.
- 2008 – Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award.
- 2014 – Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.
Other honours
- 1997 – Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
- 2002 – In commemorating Tendulkar's feat of equalling Don Bradman's 29 centuries in Test Cricket, automotive company Ferrari invited him to its paddock in Silverstone on the eve of the British Grand Prix on 23 July, to receive a Ferrari 360 Modena from the F1 world champion Michael Schumacher.
- 2003 – Player of the tournament in 2003 Cricket World Cup.
- 2004, 2007, 2010 – ICC World ODI XI.
- 2009, 2010, 2011 – ICC World Test XI.
- 2010 – Outstanding Achievement in Sport and the Peoples Choice Award at The Asian Awards in London
- 2010 – Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World.
- 2010 – ICC Award-Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for cricketer of the year.
- 2010 – LG People's Choice Award.
- 2010 – Made an Honorary group captain by the Indian Air Force
- 2011 – BCCI Cricketer of the Year award.
- 2011 – Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year award.
- 2012 – Wisden India Outstanding Achievement award.
- 2012 – Honorary Life Membership of Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)
- 2012 – Honorary Member of the Order of Australia, given by the Australian government
- 2013 – Indian Postal Service released a stamp of Tendulkar and he became the second Indian after Mother Teresa to have such stamp released in their lifetime.
