Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar began his cricket career at the age of eleven, making his Test debut for India against Pakistan at sixteen. He went on to represent Mumbai domestically and India internationally for nearly twenty-four years, establishing himself as a dominant force in the game. Throughout his career, he achieved several significant milestones, becoming the only player to score one hundred international centuries, the first batsman to achieve a double century in a One Day International, and the only player to accumulate over 30,000 runs in international cricket. By October 2013, he had aggregated more than 50,000 runs across all recognized forms of cricket. His exceptional talent earned him widespread recognition, with Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ranking him the second greatest Test batsman of all time, behind Don Bradman, and the second greatest ODI batsman, behind Viv Richards, in 2002. Tendulkar was a crucial part of the Indian team that secured the 2011 World Cup, marking his first victory in six World Cup appearances. He received numerous accolades, including the Arjuna Award in 1994, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 1997, and India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 2013, making him the youngest recipient and the first sportsperson to receive it. Tendulkar retired from One Day Internationals in December 2012, from Twenty20 cricket in October 2013, and from all forms of cricket on November 16, 2013, after playing his 200th and final Test match. He concluded his career with a total of 664 international matches and 34,357 runs.