This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (May 2011)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2009)

Bandra เคตเคพเค‚เคฆเฅเคฐเฅ‡ Vandre
โ€”  neighbourhood  โ€”
Aerial view of the Bandra coast
Bandra
Coordinates: 19ยฐ03โ€ฒ16โ€ณN 72ยฐ50โ€ฒ26โ€ณE๏ปฟ / ๏ปฟ19.054444ยฐN 72.840556ยฐE๏ปฟ / 19.054444; 72.840556Coordinates: 19ยฐ03โ€ฒ16โ€ณN 72ยฐ50โ€ฒ26โ€ณE๏ปฟ / ๏ปฟ19.054444ยฐN 72.840556ยฐE๏ปฟ / 19.054444; 72.840556
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District	Mumbai Suburban
Metro	Mumbai
Zone	3
Ward	H West
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	400 050 400 051
Lok Sabha constituency	Mumbai North Central
Vidhan Sabha constituency	Bandra

Bandra is a suburb or neighborhood located in west-central Mumbai, India. It has earned the sobriquet "Queen Of The Suburbs". The Bandra railway station is located on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. Bandra is a highly coveted location for restaurants, pubs, bars, and high-street stores. It is home to many of Mumbai's coolest restaurants and bars.

The suburb is also famous for its coastline, with promenades along Carter Road, Bandstand and Reclamation. Many Bollywood actors live along the Bandstand Promenade, Carter Road and in the Pali Hill areas.

Residential and commercial real estate prices in Bandra west and the adjoining Khar west area rival those of many of south Mumbai's upmarket areas. Moreover, many of the tree-lined streets and neighborhoods in residential parts of Bandra are leafy enclaves of sleek and luxurious apartment buildings of superior modern architecture and design.

The population and culture of Bandra is quite cosmopolitan in nature. It consists of a fair amount of Hindus, Christians (Catholics and others), Parsis (Zoroastrians), and Muslims. Bandra is home to numerous churches, including Mount Mary's Basilica. The Parsi fire-temple, Tata Agiary is located on Hill Road. Other famous religious places include the Jama Masjid (mosque) located near Bandra West railway station and the temple of Goddess Jari-Mari, located on S.V Road. A municipal lake, Swami Vivekanand Talao, is located in Bandra. It was closed to the general public in the mid 1990s.

History[link]

The name 'Bandra' is possibly an adaptation of the Persian (and also Urdu) word bandar, which Duncan Forbes' A Dictionary, Hindustani and English (1848) defines as 'a city; an emporium; a port, harbour; a trading town to which numbers of foreign merchants resort'.^[1] In Marathi, Bandra is known as Vandre, which also means 'port' and is possibly derived from the same Urdu/Persian word.

It is referred to as "Bandora" on gravestones in the cemetery of St. Andrew's Church and in the writings of Mountstuart Elphinstone of the British East India Company which describe endeavours to acquire the island of Salsette.^{[citation needed]}. It was Bandor as the Portuguese called it in 1505, then called Bandera, Bandura, Bandore, Pandara, Bandorah, Bandara and finally Bandra.

The area was under the rule of the Silhara dynasty in the 12th century.

Portuguese Rule[link]

Bandra became tributary to the Portuguese in 1532. Gerson Da Cunha in his "The Origin of Bombay" (1900), gave us an abridgement of an account from 'Lendas da India'. In this account there is a description of how Diogo da Silveira brought Thane, Bandra, Mahim and Bombay under tribute. In 1534, King Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, ceded Vasai, Salsette and the adjacent areas to the Portuguese. Bandra thus became a Portuguese possession.

In 1548, Bandra, Kurla, Mazagaon and four other villages were given by the Governor of Portuguese India to a certain Antonio Pessoa as a reward for his military services. This was confirmed by the Royal Chancellery on the 2nd February, 1550. As these villages were given for a period of 'two lives', they reverted to the Viceroy after the death of Isabella Botelha, the widow of Antonio Pessoa. The Jesuits who had applied for these villages in anticipation of the death of Isabella Botelha obtained them from the Viceroy in 1568 and the Royal confirmation was received in 1570.

The Portuguese gave the sole ownership of Bandra, Parel, Wadala and Sion to the Jesuit priests. In 1570, the Jesuits built a college and a church in Bandra by the name St Anne's (Santa Anna) College and Church. In the mid-18th century, the traveller John Fryer recorded that the Jesuit church, which stood near the sea shore, was still in use^{[citation needed]}.

In 1661 when King Charles married Catherina of Portugal, Bombay was given to England as part of the dowry. But Salsette, which included Bandra, was not part of this treaty and remained with the Portuguese.

The Jesuits were the owners of Bandra till 1739. In this year, with the threat of a Maratha invasion, they appealed to the British for help, and were advised to destroy all fortifications around the chapel and the fortress Aguada. However, all of Salsette fell to the Marathas who ruled over the region (including Bandra) for 2 decades.

British Rule[link]

After the battle of Panipat in 1761, Maratha power declined and the British took over. Salsette including Bandra came under British rule. The Portuguese were left with just Goa, Daman and Diu. Bandra was under the British from 1st January, 1775 till 14th August, 1947.

The English found in this newly acquired territory of Salsette thousands of Indian families who were converted to Christianity.. It was from these families the English drew their supplies of clerks, assistants and secretaries. At that time there was hardly a Hindu, Parsi or Muslim who could read Roman characters.

There was also a large influx of Christians from Goa, Karnataka and Kerala and this prompted local converts to take the name of 'East Indians' and form the East Indian Association on 26th May 1887 to distinguish the 'sons of the soil' who were the first employees of the East India Company, from Indian Christians who came from further down the West coast and shared the same names and religion, and vied for the same jobs. Bandra at one time was peopled mainly by East Indians (original residents of Bombay Salsette, Bassein, and Thana), a few Goans and Manglorian immigrants, Parsis, Muslims, Europeans and Hindu Kolis. Christians in Bandra are mostly of the Koli, Bhandari and Kunbi castes. In 1733, Kunbi farmers migrated to this island from Colaba because the fish manure they used was banned.

Bandra remained a village with plantations of rice and vegetables in the low-lying areas of the island until it was connected to Mahim by a causeway in 1845. Many bungalows were built in the decades of the 1860s and 70s. The Pali Hill area, near the much older Pali Village and now inhabited mostly by members of the film community, saw the first constructions only in the 1880s.

On 12th Apr 1867 the first railway service was inaugurated with one train per day between Virar and Bombay. Six yrs later it was increased to 24 each day and now there are 940 trains that stop at Bandra every day. Till as late as the 30s Bandra had only one bus service from Pali Naka, Hill road to the Rly station. Other people just walked to the nearest Rly station. After World War II the building boom started to accommodate immigrants.

Bandra in colonial era[link]

There was an 18 hole golf course in Bandra called Danda Green with an English style Club House on the top of the hill, surrounded by trees. Membership was only for the British who lived in Pali Hill. Each cottage had a stable for horses.

Bandra consisted of the villages Sherly, Malla, Rajan, Kantwady, Waroda, Ranwar, Boran,Pali and Chuim. Ranwar also had a tennis court and the famous Ranwar Club famous for its Christmas and New Year eve dances.

In the Bandra of the forties and earlier, large cottages with large gardens were available for rent at Rs 30 a month. Marriages were celebrated for 8 days from Thursday to Thursday for a Sunday wedding and the whole village was invited. Thursday was pig slaughter day and Friday was to make pappads for drinks, Saturday to make fugias and bring water from the village well to bathe the bride or groom. Sunday was the wedding ceremony and long reception. Monday was day of rest and to finish remaining food and on Tuesday the feet of guests were washed in exchange for cash. Then farewell dinner on Wed and guests left on Thursday by which time honeymoon was over.

History of localities in Bandra[link]

Godbunder Rd, which originally ran from Mahim causeway, then skirted Bazaar Rd, went past the Bandra talab (lake) and continued to Godbunder. The Road was later made straight by cutting through the talab. Bazaar Rd began at Godbunder Rd opposite the mosque and ran through the market keeping close to the coast which is now the reclamation. Bazaar Rd is only 2 km long but houses a Jain temple, Ram Mandir, Hanuman temple, Khoja mosque, Christian chapel and a Sikh gurduwara.

Bandra had 2 hills, Mount Mary hill and Pali hill. Hill Rd starting from the station went through middle of Bandra town, past St Andrews to terminate at the foot of the Mount near Mehboob studio. Pali Rd began at St Peters and cut through Pali village till it reached Danda; BJ Rd runs from St Andrews to Lands End, was built by Byramjee Jeejebhoy and opened to public in 1878.

Main roads in Bandra, Perry, Carter, Bullock, Kane, and Bates were named after British collectors and magistrates. Mr Carter was collector in 1924 and Mr Bullock was the Chief Magistrate.

The Portuguese built several churches in Bandra, one of the earliest being St. Andrew's Church in 1575. Six churches with separate parishes lie within an area of four square kilometers. These churches are: Mount Carmel, St. Peter's Church, St. Andrew's Church, St. Theresa's Church, St. Anne's and St. Francis D'Assisi Church. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount is affiliated to the parish of St. Andrew's Church, Bandra.^{[citation needed]}

There are over 150 crosses at various places. Many crosses were built to ward off the plague epidemic (1896-1906). The oldest is the one relocated in St Andrew's church compound. Stands 17ft high and made of a single stone. It was originally in the Jesuit seminary of St Anne built in 1610. The bldg was destroyed in 1739 and the cross was relocated to St Andrews church. The surface is carved all over with 39 emblems of the passion of Christ. The walls enclosing the compound of St Andrew's church were built by a Parsi, Manockjee Sorabjee Ashburner in 1862. This is recorded on a slab on the main gate of the enclosure.

Salsette was originally separated by a tidal creek which Portuguese called Bandora creek. English changed it to Mahim creek. Crossing the Mahim creek was by ferry to the industrial town of Bombay. After many boats capsized, a road was built by Lady Jamsetji in 1843 at a cost of Rs.1, 55,800. It was designed by Lt. Crawford and opened to public in 1845.

The Tata Agiary on Hill Rd was built by Tata in memory of his wife in 1884.

Mount Mary's Church[link]

The chapel of Mount Mary, was built around 1640. Lore has it that the chapel was destroyed in 1738 during a raid by Marathas. The statue of the Virgin was recovered from the sea by fishermen and temporarily installed in St. Andrew's church, before being shifted to the rebuilt Mount Mary Church in 1761, the year marking beginning of Bandra feast as it is celebrated today. To this day, the statue is venerated and many miracles, minor and major, are attributed to the Lady of the Mount. The architect of Mount Mary's church was a Bombay architect Shahpoorjee Chandabhoy. The basilica was built in 1904 at a cost of 1 lakh. It was built to serve the garrison posted at Castella de Aguada- the fort at Land's End road. In 1879, Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy constructed a flight of steps from foot of Mt Mary hill to north side of church known as the "Degrados de Bomanjee" ('Steps of Bomanjee').

People of all faiths and communities visit the church giving the place a syncretic nature. The Bandra Fair is held during the eight days of the Octave (starting on the Sunday following September 8) when pilgrims throng the church, coming from as far North as Vasai and Virar and as far East as Thane.^[2][3]

Educational Insitutions[link]

The first school founded in Bandra after Bombay passed on to the English was St. Andrewโ€™s Parish School, started by the Vicar, Fr. Francisco de Mello in 1780, to teach Catechism to the children of the parish. This later became St. Andrew High School.^[4]

St. Stanislaus School was founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus. It started as a 'Native Boy's orphanage', became a high school in 1923 and was the first English medium school in the suburbs. Later it grew to be a full-fledged educational institution for day-scholars as well as boarders. What started out as a school for 40 orphans has now grown to support 2,300 students.

R. D. National College was originally set up in 1922 in Hyderabad, Pakistan under the guidance of Annie Besant. After the partition of India, it was set up again, in 1949, in Bandra.

Bandra Lake[link]

Bandra Lake, also called "Bandra Talao" or "Motha Reservoir" was constructed by a rich Konkani Muslim of Navpada (also spelt Naupada or Naopara), an adjoining village.^[5]

The lake was later acquired by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. It was officially renamed Swami Vivekanand Sarovar. Paddle boating facilities and pisciculture activities were operational in this lake during the 1990s. This lake is now a heritage structure of status "Heritage II".^{[citation needed]}

Geography[link]

Sunset at Bandra Bandstand

Like most places in Mumbai, Bandra is split by the local railway-line into Bandra West (PIN code 400050) and Bandra-East (PIN code 400051). The part of Bandra located on the western side of the railway line evolved into a fashionable suburb by the middle of the 20th century. Film director, Mehboob Khan, established Mehboob Studio here in 1954. Soon the area was abuzz with film-related activities. A recording studio was set up in the 1970s.^[6][7]

The east, in the mid-to-late 1990s emerged as a commercial and administrative hub. It houses the Family Court, Bandra-Kurla Commercial Complex, the office of the state housing development authority (MHADA), the office of the District Collector and so on. The residential quarters of the employees of the Maharashtra State Government are also located here.

Most roads and places in Bandra possess English names that were given to them during British rule. They have been renamed over time but many are still popularly known by their old names.

• Neighbouring suburbs: Dharavi, Khar, Kurla, Mahim, Santacruz
• Arterial Roads: Swami Vivekanand Road (S.V Road), Linking Road, Turner Road (Guru Nanak Marg), Hill Road (renamed Ramdas Nayak Marg), Carter Road (renamed Naushad Ali Marg), Navpada Road (Balsamant), Western Express Highway. The Bandra-Worli Sea Link connects the western par of Bandra to Worli by the sea route, thus diverting a lot of road traffic.

Worli skyline as seen from Bandra Reclamation

A stall on Linking Road

Transport[link]

Bandra Railway Station(2008)

Bandra Worli SeaLink Project

Bandra railway station is connected via the Western Railway and the Harbour Line, which is an offshoot of the suburban Central Railway. It also has a newly built terminus called Bandra Terminus in Bandra (E) from where trains bound for northern and western India are scheduled regularly. The important trains include the Bandra - Indore Express, Bandra - Patna Express, Bandra - Jaipur Express, Bandra - Jodhpur Express and the Bandra - Amritsar Express

Public transport BEST buses, auto rickshaws and taxis are abundant. As you travel southwards, Bandra is the last point up to which auto rickshaws ply. Beyond Bandra, as you enter Mahim, only taxis are allowed to ply.

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link bridge connects Bandra West with Worli located in central Mumbai.

Due to Bandra's central location, most parts of the city are easily accessible.

Places of interest[link]

• Jogger's Park: Jogger's Park is a small seaside jogging track where joggers of Bandra congregate. The pretty little park, next to the Otter's Club, another recreation place for Bandra denizens, was where Bombay's first laughing club was launched.
• Bandra Reclamation
• Mount Mary's Basilica (in picture)
• Castella de Aguada, a seventeenth century fort at Land's End, the southernmost point of Bandra
• Bandstand Promenade
• Bandra-Kurla complex

Problems[link]

Despite commanding one of the highest property rates in Mumbai and being considered a most fashionable place to live in, Bandra has long suffered from problems of over-crowding, traffic congestions, haphazard construction of buildings and illegal hawking. Parking space availability is a major problem. Hill Road, one of Bandra's major roads continues to be heavily congested due to illegal hawkers setting up shops on the road itself. Also, the prices of commodities is higher compared to the other suburbs. Demolition of old bungalows along the narrow bylanes for new high rises has resulted in Bandra losing its charm and becoming a display of unplanned constructions leading to a multitude of problems.

See also[link]

• Bandra Talao
• Mahim
• Khar Road
• Bhabha hospital

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bandra

Sohail Khan
Sohail Khan playing for Mumbai Heroes at Celebrity Cricket League
Born	Abdul Rashid Salim Sohail Khan (1970-12-20) 20 December 1970 (age 41) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Other names	Khan Bhai Sohail
Occupation	Actor, Director, Writer, Producer
Years active	1984-1986, 1988, 1997โ€“present
Spouse	Seema Sachdev Khan
Children	Nirvaan Khan Aslam Khan
Parents	Salim Khan (Father) Salma Khan (Mother) Helen (Step mother)
Relatives	Salman Khan (Brother) Arbaaz Khan (Brother) Alvira Khan Agnihotri (Sister) Arpita Khan (Sister) Atul Agnihotri (Brother in law)

Sohail Khan born 20 December 1970) is an Indian director, writer, producer and actor working in the Hindi cinema. He is the younger brother of actors Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan. He produces films under his banner Sohail Khan Productions.

Early life[link]

Khan was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra to screenwriter Salim Khan and his wife Salma (maiden name Sushila Charak). His paternal grandfather came to India from Afghanistan and settled in Madhya Pradesh; whereas his mother is a Marathi Hindu..^[1][2] His stepmother is Bollywood actress, Helen, who is famous for her dance and item numbers. His older brothers are actors Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan. His sister, Alvira Khan, is married to Bollywood actor Atul Agnihotri, while his younger sister Arpita Khan collaborated with Sneha Ullal for his movie Lucky: No Time for Love, which he produced with Sohail Khan Production.^[3]

Career[link]

Sohail Khan is son to legendary scriptwriter Salim Khan. He is married to Seema Sachdev and has two sons Nirvaan Khan and Yohan. He started his career as a film producer and director making his directorial debut with the 1997 action thriller Auzaar which starred his brother Salman and Sanjay Kapoor. He then directed both of his brothers Salman and Arbaaz in the hit film Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998) and the less successful Hello Brother (1999) under his earlier banner G.S. Entertainment.^[4]

In 2002, he wrote, produced, directed and made his acting debut in Maine Dil Tujhko Diya which performed poorly at the box office.^[5] He then appeared in a few more films, none of which sold well. He had his first hit with the film Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya? (2005) in which he co-starred with his brother Salman Khan.^[6]

Khan has also produced live stage shows in India and all over the world featuring various Indian film stars. His company also produced music videos and even made a foray into television with 'Chehre Pe Chehra' which was directed by Rishi Vohra.

He wrote the story, produced and acted in the multi-starrer Fight Club โ€“ Members Only (2006), which did not do well at the box office. His only 2007 release as an actor was the multi-starrer Salaam-e-Ishq: A Tribute to Love. He then produced Partner which starred his brother Salman and Govinda in the lead roles and was a box office success.^[7] In 2008, he has appeared in Hello and Heroes.

In 2010, he featured in Veer with brother Salman, released on 22 January 2010.^[8]

Personal life[link]

Khan is married to Seema Sachdev and they have two sons, Nirvaan.^[9] and Yohan (born June 2011).^[10]

Filmography[link]

Actor[link]

Director[link]

Producer[link]

Writer[link]

• Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998)
• Hello Brother (1999)
• Fight Club โ€“ Members Only (2006)
• Kissan(2009)

Television Appearances[link]

• Comedy Circus Ka Naya Daur (2011) ... Judge
• Kahani Comedy Circus Ki (2012) ... Judge

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sohail Khan at the Internet Movie Database
• Kids gain confidence by showcasing talent: Sohail Khan
• Celebrity Cricket League unites Indian film industry โ€“ Sohail Khan
• Sohail Khan at a bar launch party

Sachin Tendulkar

Personal information
Full name	Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar
Born	(1973-04-24) 24 April 1973 (age 39) Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India
Nickname	Little Master, Tendlya[1]
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Batting style	Right-handed
Bowling style	Right-arm leg spin, off spin, medium pace
Role	Batsman
International information
National side	India
Test debut (cap 187)	15 November 1989 v Pakistan
Last Test	24 January 2012 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 74)	18 December 1989 v Pakistan
Last ODI	18 March 2012 v Pakistan
ODI shirt no.	10
Only T20I	1 December 2006 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1988	Cricket Club of India
1988โ€“present	Mumbai
1992	Yorkshire
2008โ€“present	Mumbai Indians
Career statistics
Competition	Test	ODI	FC	LA
Matches	188	462	292	550
Runs scored	15,470	18,374	24,389	21,947
Batting average	55.44	44.81	58.62	45.53
100s/50s	51/65	49/96	78/111	60/113
Top score	248*	200*	248*	200*
Balls bowled	4,174	8,032	7,539	10,220
Wickets	45	154	70	201
Bowling average	54.33	44.32	61.95	42.11
5 wickets in innings	0	2	0	2
10 wickets in match	0	n/a	0	n/a
Best bowling	3/10	5/32	3/10	5/32
Catches/stumpings	113/โ€“	140/โ€“	181/โ€“	175/โ€“
Source: Cricinfo, 17 March 2012

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar ( pronunciation (helpยทinfo); born 24 April 1973) is an Indian cricketer widely considered to be one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket.^[2][3][4] He is the first player to score a double century in ODI cricket.^[5][6] In 2002, just 12 years into his career, Wisden ranked him the second greatest Test batsman of all time, behind Donald Bradman, and the second greatest one-day-international (ODI) batsman of all time, behind Viv Richards.^[7] Tendulkar was a part of the 2011 Cricket World Cup winning Indian team in the later part of his career, his first such win in six World Cup appearances for India.^[8] He is currently nominated for receiving the Bharat Ratna award. ^[9]

Tendulkar is the only cricketer to accomplish the feat of scoring a hundred centuries in international cricket which includes 49 ODI and 51 Test centuries.^[10] He is also the only player to score fifty centuries in Test cricket,^[11] and the first to score fifty centuries in all international cricket combined. On 17 October 2008, when he surpassed Brian Lara's record for the most runs scored in Test cricket, he also became the first batsman to score 12,000, 13,000, 14,000 and 15,000 runs in that form of the game,^[12] having also been the third batsman and first Indian to pass 11,000 runs in Test cricket.^[13] He was also the first player to score 10,000 runs in one-day internationals, and also the first player to cross every subsequent 1000-run mark that has been crossed in ODI cricket history. In the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, Tendulkar surpassed Australia's Allan Border to become the player to cross the 50-run mark the most number of times in Test cricket history, and also the second ever player to score 11 Test centuries against Australia, tying with Sir Jack Hobbs of England more than 70 years previously.^[14] Tendulkar passed 30,000 runs in international cricket on 20 November 2009. On 24 February 2010, Tendulkar became the first man to score a double century (200*) in an ODI against South Africa. On 8 November 2011, Tendulkar became the first batsman to score 15,000 runs in Test Cricket. He also holds the world record for playing highest number of Test and ODI matches.

Tendulkar has been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan award, India's second highest civilian award, and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India's highest sporting honour. Tendulkar became the first sportsperson and the first person without an aviation background to be awarded the honorary rank of Group Captain by the Indian Air Force. He has received honorary doctorates from University of Mysore^[15] and Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences^[16] He won the 2010 Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for cricketer of the year at the ICC awards.^[17]

Early years and personal life[link]

Tendulkar was born into a Rajapur Saraswat Brahmin family,^[18][19][20] in Bombay (now Mumbai). His mother Rajni worked in the insurance industry,^[21] and his father Ramesh Tendulkar, a Marathi novelist, named Tendulkar after his favourite music director, Sachin Dev Burman. Tendulkar's elder brother Ajit encouraged him to play cricket. Tendulkar has two other siblings: a brother Nitin, and sister Savita.

Tendulkar attended Sharadashram Vidyamandir (High School),^[1] where he began his cricketing career under the guidance of his coach and mentor, Ramakant Achrekar. During his school days he attended the MRF Pace Foundation to train as a fast bowler, but Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee, who took a world record 355 Test wickets, was unimpressed, suggesting that Tendulkar focus on his batting instead.^[22]

When he was young, Tendulkar would practice for hours on end in the nets. If he became exhausted, Achrekar would put a one-rupee coin on the top of the stumps, and the bowler who dismissed Tendulkar would get the coin. If Tendulkar passed the whole session without getting dismissed, the coach would give him the coin. Tendulkar now considers the 13 coins he won then as some of his most prized possessions.^[23]

While at school, he developed a reputation as a child prodigy. He had become a common conversation point in Mumbai circles, where there were suggestions already that he would become one of the greats. His season in 1988 was extraordinary, with Tendulkar scoring a century in every innings he played. He was involved in an unbroken 664-run partnership in a Lord Harris Shield inter-school game in 1988 with friend and team mate Vinod Kambli, who would also go on to represent India. The destructive pair reduced one bowler to tears and made the rest of the opposition unwilling to continue the game. Tendulkar scored 326* in this innings and scored over a thousand runs in the tournament.^[24] This was a record partnership in any form of cricket until 2006, when it was broken by two under-13 batsmen in a match held at Hyderabad in India.

At 14, Tendulkar was a ball boy for the India versus Zimbabwe game at the Wankhede Stadium during the 1987 World Cup.^[25] When he was 14, former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar gave him a pair of his own ultra light pads. "It was the greatest source of encouragement for me," Tendulkar said nearly 20 years later after surpassing Gavaskar's world record of 34 Test centuries.^[26] On 24 May 1995,^[27] Sachin Tendulkar married Anjali, a paediatrician and daughter of Gujarati industrialist Anand Mehta and British social worker Annabel Mehta. They have two children, Sara (born 12 October 1997) and Arjun (born 24 September 1999). Anjali is six years his senior.^[28]

Beliefs[link]

Tendulkar is known to be a religious person,^[29] and an ardent devotee of Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi.^[30][31][32] He has visited Puttaparthi on several occasions to seek Baba's blessings.^[30][33] In 1997, Tendulkar captained the Indian National side, playing against a World Eleven team, in the Unity Cup which was held at the hill view stadium in Puttaparthi, in Baba's presence.^[34][35] After Sai Baba's death, Tendulkar broke into tears when he saw the body of Baba in Puttaparthi, and cancelled his birthday celebrations.^[36][37][38] The cricketer is also known to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi at home and frequently visits temples during night when it is calm and quiet.^[29][39] The cricketer has also offered his prayers at several other Hindu temples across the country.^[40][41]

Early domestic career[link]

At the age of 13, Tendulkar made his debut in club cricket for Cricket Club of India.^[42] On 11 December 1988, aged just 15 years and 232 days, Tendulkar scored 100 not out in his debut first-class match for Bombay against Gujarat, making him the youngest Indian to score a century on first-class debut. He followed this by scoring a century in his first Deodhar and Duleep Trophy.^[43] He was picked by the Mumbai captain Dilip Vengsarkar after seeing him negotiate Kapil Dev in the nets,^[1] and finished the season as Bombay's highest run-scorer.^{[note 1][44]} He also made an unbeaten century in the Irani Trophy final,^[45] and was selected for the tour of Pakistan next year, after just one first class season.^[46]

His first double century was for Mumbai while playing against the visiting Australian team at the Brabourne Stadium in 1998.^[1] He is the only player to score a century in all three of his Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy debuts.^[47]

In 1992, at the age of 19, Tendulkar became the first overseas born player to represent Yorkshire^{[1][note 2]} Tendulkar played 16 first-class matches for the county and scored 1070 runs at an average of 46.52.^[48]

International career[link]

Early career[link]

Raj Singh Dungarpur is credited for the selection of Tendulkar for the 1989 Indian tour of Pakistan.^[49] Tendulkar played his first Test match against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989 aged just 16. He made just 15 runs, being bowled by Waqar Younis, who also made his debut in that match, but was noted for how he handled numerous blows to his body at the hands of the Pakistani pace attack.^[50] In the final test in Sialkot, he was hit on the nose by a bouncer, but he declined medical assistance and continued to bat even as he gushed blood from it.^[51] In a 20 over exhibition game in Peshawar, Tendulkar made 53 runs off 18 balls, including an over in which he scored 27 runs off Abdul Qadir.^{[note 3]} This was later called "one of the best innings I have seen" by the then Indian captain Kris Srikkanth.^[52] In all, he scored 215 runs at an average of 35.83 in the Test series, and was dismissed without scoring a run in the only One Day International he played.^[53][54]

The series was followed by a tour of New Zealand in which he scored 117 runs at an average of 29.25 in, Tests including an innings of 88 in the Second Test.^[55] He was dismissed without scoring in one of the two one-day games he played, and scored 36 in the other.^[56] On his next tour, to England in 1990, he became the second youngest cricketer to score a Test century as he made 119* at Old Trafford.^[51] Wisden described his innings as "a disciplined display of immense maturity" and also wrote:^[57]

"He looked the embodiment of India's famous opener, Gavaskar, and indeed was wearing a pair of his pads. While he displayed a full repertoire of strokes in compiling his maiden Test hundred, most remarkable were his off-side shots from the back foot. Though only 5ft 5in tall, he was still able to control without difficulty short deliveries from the English paceman."

Tendulkar further enhanced his development during the 1991โ€“1992 tour of Australia, that included an unbeaten 148 in Sydney and a century on a fast, bouncing pitch at Perth. Merv Hughes commented to Allan Border at the time that "This little prick's going to get more runs than you, AB."^[58]

Rise through the ranks[link]

Tendulkar's performance through the years 1994โ€“1999 coincided with his physical peak, in his early twenties. On the day of the Hindu festival Holi, Tendulkar was told to open the batting at Auckland against New Zealand in 1994.^[59] He went on to make 82 runs off 49 balls. He scored his first ODI century on 9 September 1994 against Australia in Sri Lanka at Colombo. It had taken him 79 ODIs to score a century.

Tendulkar waits at the bowler's end.

Tendulkar's rise continued when he was the leading run scorer at the 1996 World Cup, scoring two centuries.^[60] He was the only Indian batsman to perform in the infamous semi-final against Sri Lanka. Tendulkar fell amid a batting collapse and the match referee, Clive Lloyd awarded Sri Lanka the match after the crowd began rioting and throwing litter onto the field.

After the World Cup, in the same year against Pakistan at Sharjah, Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin was going through a lean patch. Tendulkar and Navjot Singh Sidhu both made centuries to set a then record partnership for the second wicket. After getting out, Tendulkar found Azharuddin in two minds about whether he should bat. Tendulkar convinced Azharuddin to bat and Azharuddin subsequently unleashed 29 runs in a mere 10 balls. It enabled India post a score in excess of 300 runs for the first time in an ODI. India went on to win that match.

This was the beginning of a period at the top of the batting world, culminating in the Australian tour of India in early 1998, with Tendulkar scoring three consecutive centuries. These were characterised by a premeditated plan to target Australian spinners Shane Warne and Gavin Robertson, to whom he regularly charged down the pitch to drive over the infield. This technique worked as India beat Australia. The test match success was followed by two scintillating knocks in a tournament in Sharjah where he scored two consecutive centuries in a must-win game and then in finals against Australia tormenting Shane Warne once again. Following the series Warne ruefully joked that he was having nightmares about his Indian nemesis.^[61] He also had a role with the ball in that series, including a five wicket haul in an ODI. Set 310 runs to win, Australia were cruising comfortably at 3 for 203 in the 31st over when Tendulkar turned the match for India taking wickets of Michael Bevan, Steve Waugh, Darren Lehmann, Tom Moody and Damien Martyn for just 32 runs in 10 overs.^[62]

Tendulkar single-handedly won the ICC 1998 quarterfinal at Dhaka to pave way for India's entry into the semifinals, when he took four Australian wickets after scoring 141 runs in just 128 balls.

The inaugural Asian Test Championship took place in February and March 1999. Held just twice, the 1999 championship was contested by India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.^[63] Eden Gardens hosted the first match, in which Tendulkar was run out for nine after colliding with Pakistan bowler Shoaib Akhtar. The crowd's reaction to the dismissal was to throw objects at Akhtar, and the players were taken off the field. The match resumed after Tendulkar and the president of the ICC appealed to the crowd, however further rioting meant that the match was finished in front of a crowd of just 200 people.^[64] Tendulkar scored his 19th Test century in the second Test and the match resulted in a draw with Sri Lanka.^[65] India did not progress to the final, which was won by Pakistan, and refused to participate the next time the championship was held to increasing political tensions between India and Pakistan.^[66]

A chronic back problem flared up when Pakistan toured India in 1999, with India losing the historic Test at Chepauk despite a gritty century from Tendulkar himself. The worst was yet to come as Professor Ramesh Tendulkar, Tendulkar's father, died in the middle of the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Tendulkar flew back to India to attend the final rituals of his father, missing the match against Zimbabwe. However, he returned with a bang to the World cup scoring a century (unbeaten 140 off 101 balls) in his very next match against Kenya in Bristol. He dedicated this century to his father.^[67]

Captaincy[link]

Tendulkar's two tenures as captain of the Indian cricket team were not very successful. When Tendulkar took over as captain in 1996, it was with huge hopes and expectations. However, by 1997 the team was performing poorly. Azharuddin was credited with saying "Nahin jeetega! Chote ki naseeb main jeet nahin hai!",^[70] which translates into: "He won't win! It's not in the small one's destiny!".^[71]

Tendulkar, succeeding Azharuddin as captain for his second term, then led India on a tour of Australia, where the visitors were comprehensively beaten 3โ€“0 by the newly crowned world champions.^[72] Tendulkar, however, won the player of the tournament award as well as player of the match in one of the games. After another Test series defeat, this time by a 0โ€“2 margin at home against South Africa, Tendulkar resigned, and Sourav Ganguly took over as captain in 2000.

Tendulkar remains an integral part of the Indian team's strategic processes. He is often seen in discussion with the captain, at times actively involved in building strategies. Former captain Rahul Dravid publicly acknowledged that Tendulkar had been suggesting moves such as the promotion of Irfan Pathan up the batting order which, although only temporary, had an immediate effect on the team's fortunes. In 2007, Tendulkar was appointed vice-captain to captain Rahul Dravid.^[73] During the Indian team's 2007 tour of England, Dravid's desire to resign from the captaincy became known. The BCCI President Sharad Pawar personally offered the captaincy to Tendulkar.^[73] However, Tendulkar asked Pawar not to appoint him captain, instead recommending Mahendra Singh Dhoni to take over the reins.^[73] Pawar later revealed this conversation, crediting Tendulkar for first forwarding the name of Dhoni, who since achieved much success as captain.^[73]

Injuries and apparent decline[link]

Sachin Tendulkar continued performing well in Test cricket in 2001 and 2002, with some pivotal performances with both bat and ball. Tendulkar took three wickets on the final day of the famous Kolkata Test against Australia in 2001. Tendulkar took the key wickets of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, centurions in the previous test.

In the 2002 series in the West Indies, Tendulkar started well, scoring 79 in the first test, and 117 in the first innings of the second. Then, in a hitherto unprecedented sequence, he scored 0, 0, 8 and 0 in the next four innings, getting out to technical "defects" and uncharacteristically poor strokes. He returned to form in the last test scoring 41 and 86. However, India lost the series. This might have been the beginning of the "decline" phase in his career which lasted till 2006.

Tendulkar made 673 runs in 11 matches in the 2003 Cricket World Cup, helping India reach the final. While Australia retained the trophy that they had won in 1999, Tendulkar was given the Man of the Tournament award.

He continued to score heavily in ODI cricket that year, with two hundreds in a tri series involving New Zealand and Australia.

The drawn series as India toured Australia in 2003/04 saw Tendulkar making his mark in the last Test of the series, with 241 not out in Sydney, putting India in a virtually unbeatable position. He followed up the innings with an unbeaten 60 in the second innings of the test. Prior to this test match, he had had an unusually horrible run of form, failing in all six innings in the preceding three tests. It was no aberration that 2003 was his worst year in test cricket, with an average of 17.25 and just one fifty.

Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 194 against Pakistan at Multan in the following series. India declared before Tendulkar reached 200; had he done so it would have been the fourth time he passed the landmark in Tests.^[74] In meeting with the press that evening, Tendulkar stated that he was disappointed and that the declaration had taken him by surprise.^[75] Many former cricketers commented that Dravid's declaration was in bad taste.^[76][77] After India won the match, the captain Rahul Dravid stated that the matter was spoken internally and put to rest.^[78]

Tennis elbow then took its toll on Tendulkar, leaving him out of the side for most of the year, coming back only for the last two tests when Australia toured India in 2004. He played a part in India's victory in Mumbai in that series with a fast 55, though Australia took the series 2โ€“1.

On 10 December 2005 at Feroz Shah Kotla, Tendulkar scored his record-breaking 35th Test century, against the Sri Lankans. After this, Tendulkar endured the longest spell of his career without a Test century: 17 innings elapsed before he scored 101 against Bangladesh in May 2007.^[79] Tendulkar scored his 39th ODI hundred on 6 February 2006 in a match against Pakistan. He followed with a run-a-ball 42 in the second one-day international against Pakistan on 11 February 2006, and then a 95 in hostile, seaming conditions on 13 February 2006 in Lahore, which set up an Indian victory. On 19 March 2006, after scoring an unconvincing 1 off 21 balls against England in the first innings of the third Test in his home ground, Wankhede, Tendulkar was booed off the ground by a section of the crowd,^[80] the first time that he had ever faced such flak. Tendulkar was to end the three-Test series without a single half-century to his credit, and news of a shoulder operation raised more questions about his longevity. In July 2006, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Tendulkar had overcome his injury problem following an operation and rehabilitation programme and was available for selection, and he was eventually selected for the next series.

Tendulkar's comeback came in the DLF cup in Malaysia and he was the only Indian batsman to shine. In his comeback match, against West Indies on 14 September 2006, Tendulkar responded to his critics who believed that his career was inexorably sliding with his 40th ODI century. Though he scored 141 not out, West Indies won the rain-affected match by the D/L method.

During the preparation for the 2007 World Cup, Tendulkar was criticised by Greg Chappell on his attitude.^[81] As per the report, Chappell felt that Tendulkar would be more useful down the order, while the latter felt that he would be better off opening the innings, the role he had played for most of his career. Chappell also believed that Tendulkar's repeated failures were hurting the team's chances. In a rare show of emotion, Tendulkar hit out at the comments attributed to Chappell by pointing out that no coach has ever suggested his attitude towards cricket is incorrect. On 7 April 2007, the Board of Control for Cricket in India issued a notice to Tendulkar asking for an explanation for his comments made to the media.^[82]

At the World Cup in the West Indies, Tendulkar and the Indian cricket team, led by Rahul Dravid had a dismal campaign. Tendulkar, who was pushed to bat lower down the order had scores of 7 (Bangladesh), 57 not out (Bermuda) and 0 (Sri Lanka). As a result, former Australian captain Ian Chappell, brother of the then Indian coach Greg, called for Tendulkar to retire in his column for Mumbai's Mid Day newspaper.^[83]

During this period from about 2002 to 2006โ€“7, Tendulkar's batting often seemed to be a shadow of its former self. He was inconsistent, and his big knocks mostly came in sedate, accumulative, uncharacteristic fashion. He seemed to have either cut out or lost the ability to play many shots, including the hook and pull and many other aerial strokes. He also developed a tendency to go without scoring much for long periods and become overtly defensive. While players such as Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis were at the peak of their careers, Sachin's seemed to be in terminal decline. There were several calls from him to retire. However, after the 2007 World Cup, his career had a second wind and his consistency and form returned.

Return to old form and consistency[link]

In the subsequent series against Bangladesh, Tendulkar returned to his opening slot and was Man of the Series. He continued by scoring two consecutive scores of over 90 in the Future Cup against South Africa. He was the leading run scorer and was adjudged the Man of the Series.^[84]

Tendulkar celebrates upon reaching his 38th Test century against Australia in the 2nd Test at the SCG in 2008, where he finished not out on 154

On the second day of the Nottingham Test (28 July 2007) Tendulkar became the third cricketer to complete 11,000 Test runs.^[85] In the subsequent One day series against England, Tendulkar was the leading run scorer from India^[86] with an average of 53.42. In the ODI Series against Australia in October 2007 Tendulkar was the leading Indian run scorer with 278 runs.^[87]

Tendulkar was dismissed seven times in 2007 between 90 and 100, including three times at 99, leading some to suggest that he struggles to cope with nerves in this phase of his innings. Tendulkar has got out 23 times between 90 and 100 in his international career.^{[clarification needed]} On 8 November 2007 he got out on 99 against Pakistan in an ODI at Mohali to the bowling of Umar Gul. In the fourth ODI, he got out on 97 (off 102 balls with 16 fours) after dragging a delivery from Gul on to his stumps, falling short of another century in ODIs in 2007.

2007/08 tour of Australia[link]

In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 2007โ€“08, Tendulkar showed exceptional form, becoming the leading run scorer with 493 runs in four Tests, despite consistently failing in the second innings. Sachin scored 62 runs in the first innings of the first Test at the MCG in Melbourne, but couldn't prevent a heavy 337-run win for Australia. In the controversial New Years Test at Sydney, Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 154 as India lost the Test. This was his third century at the SCG, earning him an average of 221.33 at the ground. In the third Test at the WACA cricket ground in Perth, Sachin was instrumental in India's first innings score of 330, scoring a well compiled 71, as India went on to record a historic triumph at the WACA. In the fourth Test at the Adelaide Oval, which ended in a draw, he scored 153 in the first innings, involving in a crucial 126 run stand with V.V.S. Laxman for the fifth wicket to lead India to a score of 282 for 5 from 156 for 4. He secured the Player of the Match award.

In the One-Day International Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series involving Sri Lanka and Australia, Tendulkar became the first and only batsman to complete 16,000 runs in ODIs. He achieved this feat against Sri Lanka on 5 February 2008 at the Gabba in Brisbane. He started the CB series well notching up scores of 10, 35, 44 and 32, but could not convert the starts into bigger scores. His form dipped a bit in the middle of the tournament, but Tendulkar came back strongly in India's must-win game against Sri Lanka at the Bellerive Ovalin Hobart, scoring 63 off 54 balls. He finished the series with a match winning 117 not out off 120 balls in the first final,^[88] and 91 runs in the second final.^[89]

Home series against South Africa[link]

South Africa toured in March and April 2008 for a three-Test series. Tendulkar scored a five-ball duck in his only innings of the series;^[90] he sustained a groin strain in the match and as a result was forced not only to miss the second and third Tests, but also the tri-series involving Bangladesh, the 2008 Asia Cup, and the first half of the inaugural season of the IPL.^[91]

Sri Lanka Series[link]

Before the touring Sri Lanka for three Test in July 2008, Tendulkar needed just 177 runs to go past Brian Lara's record of Test 11,953 runs. However, he failed in all six innings, scoring a total of just 95 runs. India lost the series and his average of 15.83 was his worst in a Test series with at least three matches.^[92]

Return to form and breaking the record[link]

In the following ODI series against Sri Lanka, Tendulkar was sidelined due to injury. However, during the following Australia tour of India, he returned to fitness and form, scoring 13 and 49 in the first test before making 88 in the first innings of the second test, thus breaking the record for most number of Test runs held by Brian Lara. He also reached the 12,000 run mark when he was on 61. He made a fifty in the third test and 109 in the fourth, as India won the series 2โ€“0 and regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

ODI and Test Series against England[link]

Tendulkar was again out due to injury from the first three ODIs of a 7-match ODI series at home against England, but he made 11 in the fourth ODI and 50 in the fifth, before the ODI series was called off due to the Mumbai terror attacks, the scoreline being 5โ€“0 to India.

England returned for a 2-match test series in December 2008, and in the first test in Chennai, chasing 387 for victory, Tendulkar made 103 not out in a 163-run unbroken fifth wicket stand with Yuvraj Singh. This was his third century in a fourth match innings, and the first which resulted in a win. This was redemption for the Chennai Test of 1999 when chasing 271 against Pakistan, Sachin had made 136 with severe back pain and was out 17 runs short of the target, precipitating a collapse and a loss by 12 runs. He dedicated this century to the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks. Tendulkar failed in both innings in the second test, India won the series 1โ€“0.

2009โ€“2010[link]

In early 2009, India revisited Sri Lanka for five ODIs, as the Pakistan series had been cancelled due to the security situation in Pakistan and the attacks in Mumbai. Tendulkar failed to reach double figures in any inning, before becoming injured.

India's next assignment was an away series against New Zealand, consisting of three Tests and five ODIs. In the ODI series, Tendulkar made a 163 not out in the third match, an innings ended by stomach cramps that forced him to retire hurt. India made 392 and won easily and won the series 3โ€“1. Tendulkar made 160 in the first test, his 42nd Test century, and India won. He made 49 and 64 in the second test and 62 and 9 in the third, in which India were prevented from winning by rain on the last day. India won the series 1โ€“0.

Tendulkar rested himself for the ODI tour of West Indies, but was back for the Compaq Cup (Tri Series) between India, SL and New Zealand in early September 2009. He made 46 and 27 in the league matches before notching up 138 in the final, as India made 319 and won by 46 runs. This was Tendulkar's 6th century in ODI finals and his third consecutive score of over 50 in such finals. India has won all six times that Tendulkar has made a hundred in an ODI final.

Tendulkar played just one innings in the ICC Champions trophy in South Africa, scoring 8 against Pakistan as India lost. The next match against Australia was washed out and he was out with food poisoning in the third match against the West Indies, as India were eliminated.

Australia returned for a seven-match ODI series in India in October, and Tendulkar made 14, 4, 32 and 40 in the first four games. In the fifth match, with the series tied at 2โ€“2, Australia amassed 350/4 in 50 overs. Tendulkar made his 45th ODI hundred, a 175 off 141 balls. Just when it seemed that he would steer India to the large victory target, he paddle-scooped debutant bowler Clint McKay straight to short fine leg, with India needing 19 from 18 balls with four wickets left. The Indian tail collapsed, and they lost by 3 runs, being all out for 347. During this match, Tendulkar also became the first player to reach 17,000 ODI runs, and achieved his personal best against Australia, as well as the third highest score in a defeat.

In the ODIs against Sri Lanka in 2009โ€“10, Tendulkar scored 69, 43, 96 not out and 8, as India won 3โ€“1.In the Test Series, he scored a 100 no out in the first test, which was drawn, and 40 in the second and 53 in the third test as India clinched innings victory in both tests. India won the series 2โ€“0.^[93]

Sachin rested himself for the ODI tri-series in Bangladesh in 2010. In the Tests against Bangladesh, he made 105 not out and 16 in the first test, and 143 in the second. India won 2โ€“0.

In the 2-Test Series against South Africa, Tendulkar made seven and 100 in the first test and 106 in the first innings of the second test. In the course of the second 100 (his 47th Test Hundred) he achieved several landmarks, in that he had scored four hundreds in his last four matches and that the hundred against South Africa in the first Test was the first at home against South Africa. The century was also his hundredth score over 50 in International Test cricket, moving him to 92 international hundreds (Tests and ODIs combined). In the second match of the subsequent ODI series, Tendulkar scored 200 not out to become the world's first person to score a double century in ODI cricket.^[94]

Tendulkar's shot to reach 14,000 Test runs. He was batting against Australia in October 2010.

2011 World Cup and after[link]

From February to April, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka hosted the 2011 World Cup. Amassing 482 runs at an average of 53.55 including two centuries, Tendulkar was India's lead run-scorer for the tournament; only Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka scored more runs in the 2011 tournament.^[95] India defeated Sri Lanka in the final.^[96] Shortly after the victory, Tendulkar commented that "Winning the World Cup is the proudest moment of my life. ... I couldn't control my tears of joy."^[97]

India were due to tour the West Indies in June, although Tendulkar chose not to participate. He returned to the squad in July for India's tour of England.^[98] Throughout the tour there was much hype in the media about whether Tendulkar would reach his 100th century in international cricket (Test and ODIs combined). However his highest score in the Tests was 91; Tendulkar averaged 34.12 in the series as England won 4โ€“0 as they deposed India as the No. 1 ranked Test side.^[99][100] The injury Tendulkar sustained to his right foot in 2001 flared up and as a result he was ruled out of the ODI series that followed.^[99] Tendulkar created another record on 8 November 2011 when he became the first cricketer to score 15,000 runs in Test cricket, during the opening Test match against the West Indies at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi.^[101][102]

Ian Chappell was not happy with Sachin's performance after India's tour of Australia. He says that Sachinโ€™s quest for his 100th hundred has proved to be a hurdle for the entire team and has hampered their performance on the Tour of Australia. Former India World Cup winning captain and all-rounder Kapil Dev has also voiced his opinion that Sachin should have retired from ODIโ€™s after the World Cup. Former Australian fast bowler, Geoff Lawson, has said that Sachin has the right to decide when to quit although he adds that Tendulkar should not delay it for too long.^[103]

100th international century[link]

Tendulkar scored his much awaited 100th international hundred on 16 March 2012, at Mirpur against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup.^[104] He became the first person in history to achieve this feat. Incidentally, it was Tendulkar's first ODI hundred against Bangladesh. He said "It's been a tough phase for me ... I was not thinking about the milestone, the media started all this, wherever I went, the restaurant, room service, everyone was talking about the 100th hundred. Nobody talked about my 99 hundreds. It became mentally tough for me because nobody talked about my 99 hundreds."^[105] Despite Tendulkar's century, India failed to win the match against Bangladesh, losing by 5 wickets.^[106]

Indian Premier League and Champions League[link]

Tendulkar was made the icon player and captain for his home side, the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition in 2008.^[107] As an icon player, he was signed for a sum of US$1,121,250, 15% more than the second-highest paid player in the team, Sanath Jayasuriya.^[108]

In 2010 edition of Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians reached the final of the tournament. Tendulkar made 618 runs in 14 innings during the tournament, breaking Shaun Marsh's record of most runs in an IPL season. He was declared player of the tournament for his performance during the season. He also won Best Batsman and Best Captain awards at 2010 IPL Awards ceremony.

Sachin Tendulkar captained Mumbai Indians in 4 league matches of second edition of the league. He scored 68 in the first match and 48 against Guyana. But Mumbai Indians failed to qualify for semifinals after losing the initial two matches. Tendulkar scored 135 runs.^[109]

In the 2011 IPL, against Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Tendulkar scored his maiden Twenty20 hundred. He scored 100 not out off 66 balls. In 51 matches in the IPL Tendulkar has scored 1,723 runs, making him the second-highest run-scorer in the competition's history.^[110]

Style of play[link]

Tendulkar plays a wristy leg-side flick

Tendulkar is cross-dominant: He bats, bowls and throws with his right hand, but writes with his left hand.^[111] He also practices left-handed throws at the nets on a regular basis. Cricinfo columnist Sambit Bal has described him as the "most wholesome batsman of his time".^[1] His batting is based on complete balance and poise while limiting unnecessary movements and flourishes. He appears to show little preference for the slow and low wickets which are typical in India, and has scored many centuries on the hard, bouncy pitches in South Africa and Australia.^[1] He is known for his unique punch style of hitting the ball over square. He is also renowned for his picture-perfect straight drive, often completed with no follow-through. Straight drive is his favourite shot.^[112] In 2008 Sunil Gavaskar, in an article he wrote in the AFP, remarked that "it is hard to imagine any player in the history of the game who combines classical technique with raw aggression like the little champion does".^[113]

Sir Donald Bradman, considered by many as the greatest batsman of all time, considered Tendulkar to have a batting style similar to his. In his biography, it is stated that "Bradman was most taken by Tendulkar's technique, compactness and shot production, and had asked his wife to have a look at Tendulkar, having felt that Tendulkar played like him. Bradman's wife, Jessie, agreed that they did appear similar."^[114][115]

Tendulkar at the crease, getting ready to face a delivery

Former Australian cricket team coach John Buchanan voiced his opinion that Tendulkar had become susceptible to the short ball early in his innings because of a lack of footwork.^[116] Buchanan also believes Tendulkar has a weakness while playing left-arm pace.^[116] He was affected by a series of injuries since 2004. Since then Tendulkar's batting has tended to be less attacking. Explaining this change in his batting style, he has acknowledged that he is batting differently due to that fact that, firstly, no batsman can bat the same way for the entire length of a long career and, secondly, he is a senior member of the team now and thus has more responsibility. During the early part of his career he was a more attacking batsman and frequently scored centuries at close to a run a ball. Ian Chappell, former Australian player, remarked in 2007 that "Tendulkar now, is nothing like the player he was when he was a young bloke".^[117]

Tendulkar has incorporated several modern and unorthodox strokes into his repertoire in recent times, including the paddle sweep, the scoop over short fine leg and the slash to third man over the slips' heads, over the last seven or eight years. This has enabled him to remain scoring consistently in spite of the physical toll of injuries and a lean period in the mid-2000s. By his own admission, he does not bat as aggressively as he did in the 90s and early 2000s, because his body has undergone changes and cannot sustain aggressive shotmaking over a long period. He is often praised for his ability to adapt to the needs of his body and yet keep scoring consistently.

While Tendulkar is not a regular bowler, he can bowl medium pace, leg spin, and off spin. He often bowls when two batsmen of the opposite team have been batting together for a long period, as he can often be a useful partnership breaker. With his bowling, he has helped secure an Indian victory on more than one occasion.^[118] He has taken 44 test match wickets and is the tenth highest wicket taker for India in ODIs.^[119]

Controversies[link]

Mike Denness incident[link]

In India's 2001 tour of South Africa in the second test match between India and South Africa at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth match referee Mike Denness fined four Indian players for excessive appealing as well as the Indian captain Sourav Ganguly for not controlling his team.^[120] Tendulkar was given a suspended ban of one game by Mike Denness in light of alleged ball tampering. Television cameras picked up images that suggested Tendulkar may have been involved in cleaning the seam of the cricket ball.^[121] This can, under some conditions, amount to altering the condition of the ball. The match referee Mike Denness found Sachin Tendulkar guilty of ball tampering charges and handed him a one Test match ban.^[122] The incident escalated to include allegations of racism,^[123] and led to Mike Denness being barred from entering the venue of the third test match. The ICC revoked the status of the match as a Test as the teams rejected the appointed referee.^[124] The charges against Tendulkar and Sehwag's ban for excessive appealing triggered a massive backlash from the Indian public.^[125]

Ferrari import tax[link]

In commemorating Tendulkar's feat of equalling Don Bradman's 29 centuries in Test Cricket, automotive giant Ferrari invited Tendulkar to its paddock in Silverstone on the eve of the British Grand Prix on 23 July 2002, to receive a Ferrari 360 Modena from the F1 world champion Michael Schumacher.^[126] On 4 September 2002 India's then finance minister Jaswant Singh wrote to Tendulkar telling him that the government will waive customs duty imposed on the car as a measure to applaud his feat.^[127] However the rules at the time stated that the customs duty can be waived only when receiving an automobile as a prize and not as a gift. It is claimed that the proposals to change the law (Customs Act) was put forth in Financial Bill in February 2003 and amended was passed as a law in May 2003. Subsequently the Ferrari was allowed to be brought to India without payment of the customs duty (1.13 crore (US$225,435) or 120% on the car value of 75 lakh (US$149,600)).^[128] When the move to waive customs duty became public in July 2003, political and social activists protested the waiver^[129] and filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court. With the controversy snowballing, Fiat India agreed to pay the import duty.^[130]

Fan following[link]

Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, a fan of Tendulkar who earned the privilege of tickets to all of India's home games

Tendulkar's entry into world cricket was hyped up by former Indian stars and those who had seen him play. Tendulkar's consistent performances earned him a fan following across the globe, including amongst Australian crowds, where Tendulkar has consistently scored centuries.^[58] One of the most popular sayings by his fans is "Cricket is my religion and Sachin is my God".^[131] Cricinfo mentions in his profile that "... Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world."^[132] During the Australian tour of India in 1998 Matthew Hayden said "I have seen God. He bats at no. 4 in India in Tests."^[133]

There have been many instances when Sachin's fans have done extreme activities over Sachin's dismissal in the game. As per reports by many Indian newspapers, a person hanged himself being distressed over Sachin's failure to reach 100th century. ^[134]

Some analysts have found that Sachin is the greatest ever cricketer in the world surpassing Don Bradman. At home in Mumbai, Tendulkar's fan following has caused him to lead a different lifestyle. Ian Chappell has said that he would be unable to cope with the lifestyle Tendulkar was forced to lead, having to "wear a wig and go out and watch a movie only at night".^[117] In an interview with Tim Sheridan, Tendulkar admitted that he sometimes went for quiet drives in the streets of Mumbai late at night when he would be able to enjoy some peace and silence.^[135] Tendulkar has a presence in the popular social networking site Twitter with the user name sachin_rt since May 2010.^[136]

Business interests[link]

Tendulkar's immense popularity has led him to be an early pioneer in India on cricket business dealings when he signed a record sports management deal with Worldtel in 1995, the value of the deal being 30 crore (US$5.99 million) over five years.^[137] His next contract with WorldTel in 2001 was valued at 80 crore (US$15.96 million) over five years.^[138] In 2006, he signed a contract with Saatchi and Saatchi's ICONIX values at 180 crore (US$35.91 million) over three years.^[139]

Tendulkar has opened two restaurants: Tendulkar's^[140] (Colaba, Mumbai) and Sachin's^[141] (Mulund, Mumbai) and Bangalore. Sachin owns these restaurants in partnership with Sanjay Narang of Mars Restaurants.

In 2007, Tendulkar also announced a JV with the Future Group and Manipal Group to launch healthcare and sports fitness products under the brand name 'S Drive and Sach'.^[142] A series of comic books by Virgin Comics is also due to be published featuring him as a superhero.^[143]

Commercial endorsements[link]

Sachin Tendulkar has been sponsored by several brands throughout his career including Boost (1990โ€“present),^[144] Pepsi (1992โ€“2009),^[145] Action Shoes (1995โ€“2000),^[146] MRF (1999โ€“2009),^[147] Adidas (2000โ€“10),^[148] Britannia (2001โ€“07),^[149] Fiat Palio (2001โ€“03),^[150] TVS (2002โ€“05),^[151] ESPN Star Sports (2002โ€“present),^[152] Sunfeast (2007โ€“13),^[153] Canon (2006โ€“09),^[154] Airtel (2004โ€“06),^[155] Reynolds (2007โ€“present),^[156] G-Hanz (2005โ€“07),^[157] Sanyo BPL (2007โ€“present),^[158] Toshiba (2010โ€“present),^[159] Colgate-Palmolive,^[160] Philips,^[160] VISA,^[160] Castrol India (2011โ€“12),^[161] Ujala Techno Bright^[162] and Coca-Cola (2011โ€“13)^[163]

He has also been a spokesperson for National Egg Coordination Committee (2003โ€“05),^[164] AIDS Awareness Campaign (2005)^[165] and Luminous India (2010โ€“present)^[166]

Political career[link]

In April 2012, Tendulkar accepted the Rajya Sabha nomination proposed by the president. He is the first active sportsperson and cricketer to have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha.^[167] Reactions to this decision included: Sanjay Manjrekar who said that he was "actually shocked by the story itself, first by the nomination as it came without any warning. And that Sachin has accepted it is even more shocking. When I visualise what Sachin could possibly do after retirement, I thought something connected to cricket, coaching and all that, may be some business or social activity. But Rajya Sabha MP after retirement or even at this stage of career is something that was not even in my wildest guess." MP and former cricketer Kirti Azad said that the move was akin to an honourary degree on an eminent person and said that "Why should he not be successful? Unlike a Lok Sabha MP, he does not have to worry about his constituency and he could focus on the topics related to sports. Iโ€™m confident he will do a good job." Former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar reacted in saying that "so far, they were nominating persons from other fields. Now that a sportsman has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha, a good precedent has been set." DNA questioned if Tendulkar could handle the political system and was aware of the issues, though it also said that he has now outlined in partisan politics in choosing a party after the nomination followed a visit to the head of the Indian National Congress' residence in New Delhi^[168] at the behest of party MP Sanjay Nirupam.^[169] The nomination was also made by the president, who is a member of the INC, in the same year as she faces re-election. Actor Sanjay Dutt, who had also tried to become a MP, said that "it is an honour to be in the Rajya sabha. I am a fan of Sachin. He is the pride and jewel of India. But, I am not happy that he is a Rajya Sabha member. He should have been the way he is." He was also said to have the support of Amitabh Bacchan.^[170] His decision to be a MP was also criticised in some quarters: Former Indian captain Ajit Wadekar said that "hope[s Tendulkar] does not suffer the same fate as another legend, Amitabh Bachchan, politics is a big game. He had only said he is not going to retire soon. But, my fear is how will he divide his time and responsibilities." Former member of the Indian 1983 Cricket World Cup team Madan Lal was also surprised, saying that "the kind of person Sachin is, we never expected him to take up politics." The Maharashtrian party Shiv Sena's MP Sanjay Raut questioned the timing and asked "is Sachin being used to divert attention from the problems plaguing the Congress?" The Communist Party of India's Gurudas Dasgupta sad that "I welcome the decision to nominate Tendulkar, but at the same time when Sourav is in his top form, his name, too, should have been considered."^[169] His current colleague Harbhajan Singh said that he was "proud that Sachin is getting the honour. He deserves much more than that. May God bless him always."^[171] Anti-corruption campaigner Baba Ramdev said that the INC was using the nomination and Tendulkar's stature to boost its battered image through series of scandals and electoral defeats.^[172] Former Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia reacted neutrally saying a nomination of a sports candidate was a personal choice to accept.On 2nd May,2012 sachin was selected as the holder of seat no. 103 in the upper house "Rajya Sabha"^[173]

Career achievements[link]

An innings-by-innings breakdown of Tendulkar's Test match batting career up to February 2008, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line)

Sachin Tendulkar is the most prolific run scorer in one-day internationals with 18,111 runs. With a current aggregate of 14,692 Test runs, he surpassed Brian Lara's previous record tally of 11,953 runs as the highest run scorer in test matches in the second Test of Australia's 2008 tour of India in Mohali.^[12][174] Tendulkar described "It is definitely the biggest achievement in 19 years of my career" on the day he achieved the record.^[175] He also holds the record of highest number of centuries in both Test (51) and ODI (49) cricket. (48). On 16 March 2012, Tenduklar scored his 100^th international hundred.^[176] It came against Bangladesh in the league matches of Asia Cup 2012. Throughout his career, he has made a strong impact on Indian cricket and was, at one time, the foundation of most of the team's victories. In recognition with his impact on sport in a cricket-loving country like India, Tendulkar has been granted the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India. He was also chosen as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1997 and is ranked by the Wisden 100 as the second best test batsman and ODI batsman of all time.

Tendulkar has also consistently done well in Cricket World Cups. Tendulkar was the highest run scorer of the 1996 Cricket World Cup and 2003 Cricket World Cup. After his century against England during group stages of 2011 Cricket World Cup, he became the player to hit most number of centuries in Cricket World Cups with six centuries and the first player to score 2000 runs in World Cup cricket.^[25][177] Tendulkar has scored over 1000 runs in a calendar year in ODIs 7 times, and in 1998 he scored 1894 runs, easily the record for the highest number of runs scored by any player in a single calendar year for one day internationals. Tendulkar is also one of the very few players who are still playing in international cricket from the 1980s. On 24 February 2010, Tendulkar broke the previous world record for highest individual innings in an ODI, and became the first male cricketer to score a double-century in one-day cricket. He made 200 runs and broke the previous record of 194 runs, jointly held by Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry.^[178]

He has been Man of the Match 13 times in Test matches and Man of the Series four times,^[179] out of them twice in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The performances earned him respect from Australian cricket fans and players.^[58] Similarly he has been Man of the Match 60 times in One day International matches and Man of the Series 14 times.

Individual honours and appreciations[link]

Tendulkar's Wax Statue in Madame Tussauds, London

• ICC Award-Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for cricketer of the year 2010.
• Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, 2008.^[180]
• ICC World ODI XI: 2004, 2007.
• Rajiv Gandhi Awards โ€“ Sports: 2005.^[181]
• Player of the tournament in 2003 Cricket World Cup.
• Maharashtra Bhushan Award, Maharashtra State's highest Civilian Award in 2001.^[182]
• Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, 1999.^[183]
• Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest honour given for achievement in sports, 1997โ€“98.^[184]
• Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 1997.
• Arjuna Award, by the Government of India in recognition of his outstanding achievement in sports, 1994.^[185]
• In October 2010, he was awarded for Outstanding Achievement in Sport and the Peoples Choice Award at The Asian Awards in London.^[186]
• On 28 January 2011, he won the 'Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year' award.^[187]
• 'BCCI Cricketer of the Year' award on 31 May 2011.^[188]
• On 3 September 2010, he was made a Honorary Group captain by the Indian Air Force.^[189]

Philanthropy[link]

Tendulkar sponsors 200 underprivileged children every year through Apnalaya, a Mumbai-based NGO associated with his mother-in-law, Annabel Mehta. A request from Sachin on Twitter raised 1.025 crore (US$204,487.5) through Sachin's crusade against cancer for the Crusade against Cancer foundation.^[190][191] Sachin Tendulkar devoted all of nine hours to the 12-hour Coca-Cola-NDTV Support My School telethon on 18 September 2011 that helped raise 7 crore โ€“ 2 crore more than the target โ€“ for from the creation of basic facilities, particularly toilets for girl students, in 140 government schools across the country.^[192]

Biographies[link]

Sachin Tendulkar has been the subject of various books. The following is the listing of books focused on Tendulkar's career:

• Sachin: The Story of the World's Greatest Batsman by Gulu Ezekiel. Publisher: Penguin Global. ISBN 978-0-14-302854-3^[193]
• The A to Z of Sachin Tendulkar by Gulu Ezekiel. Publisher: Penguin Global. ISBN 978-81-7476-530-7^[194]
• Sachin Tendulkar-a definitive biography by Vaibhav Purandare. Publisher: Roli Books. ISBN 81-7436-360-2^[195]
• Sachin Tendulkar โ€“ Masterful by Peter Murray, Ashish Shukla. Publisher: Rupa. ISBN 81-7167-806-8^[196]
• If Cricket is a Religion, Sachin is God by Vijay Santhanam, Shyam Balasubramanian Publisher: HarperCollins India ISBN 978-81-7223-821-6^[197]
• Master Stroke: 100 Centuries of Sachin Tendulkar by Neelima Athalye. Publisher: Sakal Publications. ISBN 978-93-8057-184-3^[198]

See also[link]

	Cricket portal
	India portal

• List of International cricket centuries by Sachin Tendulkar
• Achievements of Sachin Tendulkar
• Indian national cricket captains
• List of One Day International cricket records

Further reading[link]

• Murray, Peter; Shukla, Ashish (2002). Sachin Tendulkar: Masterful. Murray Advertising. ISBN 81-7167-806-8. 

Notes[link]

References[link]