Why is Sachin Tendulkar known as the ‘God of Cricket’?

The turn of the 21st century saw the rise of many exceptional players who went on to become legends of the cricketing world. Brain Lara, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Mahela Jayawardene and Virat Kohli, to name a few, have delighted fans over the years with their performances and taken their teams to the summit.

Sachin Tendulkar, who was the mainstay in the Indian team since his Test debut in 1989, marked some astonishing achievements over the years. His impact on cricket is unparalleled and the fans rightfully hail him as ‘God of Cricket’. Known as the Master Blaster, Tendulkar broke nearly every batting record in the history of international cricket and is revered as the greatest Indian cricketer of all time. 

Tendulkar was only 16 years old when he made his Test debut against Pakistan, a record till date for the youngest Indian debutant in men’s International cricket. Ever since, his performances have inspired the following generations to pick up the willow.

God of Cricket - Sachin Tendulkar records 

Sachin Tendulkar scored 34,357 runs for India across all formats, making him the highest run-getter in International cricket history. He is infact the only cricketer to have notched more than 30,000 runs at the highest level of the game.

The Master Blaster is the highest run-getter in Test match cricket. Tendulkar amassed 15,921 runs in Tests and holds the records for most Test centuries (51) and most Test matches played (200). He has also registered the most fours in the format (2058) and is the fastest cricketer to reach 15,000 Test runs.

Sachin Tendulkar also took the ODIs by storm, especially with his swashbuckling batting style in the 1990s. The former Indian cricket team captain has played the most ODIs (463), scored the most ODI runs (18,426) and has the most centuries in ODI cricket history (49).

Tendulkar holds the record of the longest ODI career, which lasted 22 years and 91 days. The Master Blaster registered 1894 runs in 1998, which is also the most scored by a batter in ODI cricket in a calendar year. He has smashed the most fours (2016), made the most half-centuries (145) and is the fastest batsman to amass 18,000 runs in the format.

In what seemed an unachievable feat initially, Sachin Tendulkar who had flirted with the 200-run mark in an innings in ODIs on multiple occasions, finally reached the landmark in 2010. He scored 200 runs off 147 deliveries, including 25 fours and five sixes.

Sachin Tendulkar is the only cricketer to score 100 International centuries. The Master Blaster dominated the much-celebrated Australian team in their prime, scoring 20 centuries (11 in Tests, nine in ODIs) in International cricket against the Kangaroos.

Tendulkar won the 2011 Cricket World Cup with the Indian cricket team. He was instrumental in India’s success in the tournament and over the years notched 2278 runs in the ODI Cricket World Cup, the highest by any batter in the history of the tournament.

The God of Cricket featured in only one T20I for India. However, Tendulkar was an integral part of Team Mumbai in the Indian T20 League and played some memorable knocks for them over the years.

Former Australian Test opener, Matthew Hayden, famously said, “I have seen God, he bats at no. 4 for India,” while referring to Sachin Tendulkar.

Even the former US President, Barack Obama, was left awestruck with Sachin Tendulkar’s impact with the bat. “I don’t know cricket; I don’t know how Sachin plays. But I still try to watch him playing because I want to know why my country’s economy goes down 0.5% when he’s batting,” said Obama.

Sachin Tendulkar retired from international cricket in November 2013 after playing his final Test against West Indies at his homeground, the Wankhede Stadium. While Master Blaster walked off the pitch, tears flooded from fans all over the globe. Tendulkar fittingly was given the guard of honour by his teammates and opponents as a mark of respect for his memorable career.

God of Cricket - Sachin Tendulkar stats

Here’s an overview of Sachin Tendulkar’s glorious career in international cricket.

Featured photo: NOAH SEELAM / AFP