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STUMP VISION MAY 02, 2025 | The Indian Eye 42

SACHIN TENDULKAR

A trip down the memory lane with

the legend as the ‘God of Cricket’ turns 52

Tendulkar holds the highest number of Player of the Match awards (76),

the most runs in a career (34,357), the most fifties (264), the most nineties (28),

and the most fours (4,076) across all formats

OUR BUREAU mances was on display during the 2003
World Cup when India took on its bit-
Mumbai
ter nemesis, Pakistan. In a pulsating
ndia’s legendary batting maestro affair during the group stage, Sachin
Sachin Tendulkar turned 52 on pulled out one of his best and left the
IThursday. His illustrious career Men in Green gobsmacked with a siz-
has been marked by record-breaking zling 98(75) at Centurion.
success and some of the most memo- While up against a fierce pace trio
rable performances the world of crick- featuring Waqar Younis, ‘Sultan of
et has ever witnessed. Swing’ Wasim Akram and ‘Rawalpin-
With a staggering 34,357 interna- di Express’ Shoaib Akhtar, Sachin un-
tional runs, Tendulkar is the most suc- leashed an early, relentless onslaught
cessful batter in cricket history. During to take the game away from Pakistan.
his illustrious run in the international He toyed with Pakistan’s famed pace
circuit, Tendulkar rewrote history attack, ensured India coasted to vic-
numerous times, and many of these tory with consummate ease and stood
achievements remain unchallenged. triumphant with a six-wicket win.
With technical supremacy and During the same edition of
a natural appetite for scoring runs, the marquee event, Sachin brought
Tendulkar was a class apart in the Test thunder down the ground at Pieter-
format. With his unwavering patience maritzburg against Namibia with his
and resilience, the ‘Master Blaster’ scorching 152(151). With a belligerent
has 200 Test appearances to his name, display with the bat, Sachin stamped
the most by any player in the format. his authority by pulling off a wide ar-
ray of shots from his arsenal. With
Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar during a practice session ahead of the International
By implementing his pic- Masters League T20 2025 in Mumbai (ANI file photo) his sheer class, Sachin lifted India to
a daunting 311/2, a score of 118 too
ture-perfect strokes, Tendulkar much for Namibia.
garnered 15,921 runs, 51 cen- mat, which goes far beyond the realm ness also resonates in the fact that When runs effortlessly flowed
turies, and 2,058 fours, the of impressive, Tendulkar raised his bat with 20 centuries against Australia, he from Sachin’s bat, victory wasn’t al-
to celebrate 145 half-centuries and has the record for most tons against a
ways on the cards for India, and that’s
highest by any player in red- found the fence for a four on 2,016 oc- team across all formats. what happened against South Africa
Throughout his record-shatter-
ball cricket. The Indian ‘God of casions, the highest by any player that ing career, Sachin left an everlasting during the 2011 World Cup. With his
the world of cricket has ever seen.
swashbuckling 111(101), Sachin set
Cricket’ is the fastest to 15,000 The undisputed icon was the fast- impression with his exquisite skill set the stage for India’s dominance and
Test runs, having achieved the est to 18,000 ODI runs, achieving the with the bat across different tourna- propelled the score to 296.
In a game that went right down to
feat in 300 innings, and sits feat in 440 innings. Just as he achieved ments; however, in the ICC World the wire, South Africa held on to their
a similar milestone in Tests, Tendulkar Cup, he was a class above the rest. “I
alone in the exclusive club. stands alone in the exclusive club for have seen God, he bats at no. 4 for In- nerves and managed to secure a nar-
this achievement. dia,” the words of former Australian row three-wicket win in the final over
With a career that spanned over While examining his era of dom- opener Matthew Hayden substantiate of the gripping affair.
22 years and 91 days, the 52-year-old inance, Tendulkar holds the high- the impact Sachin made with the bat A similar case unfolded during
has the longest career in ODIs. With a est number of Player of the Match in his hands during his decorated ca- the 1996 World Cup when India faced
whopping 1,894 runs and nine centu- awards (76), the most runs in a career reer. The Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime a rampant Sri Lankan team, which
ries in 1998, the Indian stalwart sits at (34,357), the most fifties (264), the Achievement award winner mesmer- went on to win the title. Despite the
the top of the list for most runs and hun- most nineties (28), and the most fours ised the spectators with his enchanting defeat, Sachin’s 137* was an instant
dreds in a calendar year in the format. (4,076) across all formats. strokeplay and technical prowess. classic, considering the quality bowl-
During his run in the 50-over for- Tendulkar’s unparalleled great- One of his captivating perfor- ing attack that the Lankans possessed.

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