Sachin Tendulkar is nothing short of a cricketing god. He has transcended in a way that few others have managed to do so.
Although he retired nearly a decade ago, Tendulkar is still highly revered, and he was for India what Ricky Ponting was for Australia, and Jacques Kallis was for South Africa.
At the age of 48, Tendulkar is still spoken of fondly even though it has been a while since he hung up his pads. His batting figures were nothing short of extraordinary. A quick glance shows that he still holds the record for most hundreds in his Test career (51), and he remains the highest Test run scorer of all time, with nearly 16,000 runs to his name.
If that wasn’t enough, Tendulkar averaged over 54 with the bat at Test level, and he was pretty nifty at ODI with an average of just shy of 45.
Yet, it is probably best to go back to the beginning to get a clearer idea of how remarkable Tendulkar was. Born on April 24, 1973, in Bombay (now Mumbai), Tendulkar earned the nickname of Little Master for his perfect balance, and a brilliant array of shot making, both on the back foot and front foot.
He came to age as an 18-year-old when he hit his first Test ton during a Test match in Sydney, where he made an unbeaten 120. Well, to be exact, Tendulkar was 18 years, and 256 days at the time.
And after that, Australia cricketing great Don Bradman mentioned to his wife that Tendulkar reminded him of himself.
Tendulkar was a keen student of the game, and he also holds the record for most ODIs. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many stats for T20s, although Tendulkar played that version of the game when it was in its infancy – before he retired.
Although he stands at 5ft 5inches, Tendulkar stood as a giant in the game, and he is worshipped by all cricket fans in India. Tendulkar has created a similar legacy to the likes of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who found joy in occupying the crease for long periods, as well as show flair with their shot making when it came to playing cover drives. Tendulkar was a thorn in many sides at Test level, including Pakistan, and in 27 innings against Pakistan, he scored over 1,000 runs, with his highest score being an unbeaten knock of 194. In India, there are plenty of renowned betting sites accepting bets on international cricket, across all forms of the game. The same can be said in some of India’s neighbouring countries. For example, there are some fabulous online betting sites in Pakistan, where fans flock to place bets not just on international cricket, but also on domestic competitions. For example, at bet365, they run numerous markets on the Pakistan Super League, where you can find odds for each match, as well as outrights as to who will win the tournament.
Regardless of whether you support India or not, Tendulkar left an indelible mark on the game, and he is sorely missed.
Many kids nowadays still look up to Tendulkar as a role model, and in cricket-loving nations across the world, there are still some trying to replicate his shots on the streets.
Tendulkar is a cricketing idol, and his feats won’t be forgotten. However, as we have seen, there’s more to him than just his incredible stats.
