Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Total information of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (born April 24, 1973 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India), often referred to as The Little Master or The Master Blaster,[1][2] is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket.[3][4][5] In 2002, Wisden rated him as the second greatest Test batsman after Sir Donald Bradman, and the greatest One-day international batsman.[6]

He holds several highly regarded batting records and is the leading scorer of centuries in both Test cricket and One-day internationals. He is one of the three batsmen to surpass 11,000 runs in Test cricket, and the first Indian to do so.[7] He is the most prolific run scorer in ODIs by a margin of over 4000 runs and has scored the most runs in international cricket as a whole. He crossed 16,000 runs in ODIs on February 5, 2008 while playing against Sri Lanka in Brisbane, Australia.

At 13, Tendulkar was the best player in the Mumbai schools competition for Under 19s. At 14, Tendulkar made his first-class debut for the Mumbai cricket team and scored a century on debut. He made his international test debut in 1989 against Pakistan in Karachi at age 16. He scored his first international century at just 17.

He is the only cricketer to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour and the only cricketer and one of the first sportsmen (along with Vishwanathan Anand) to receive the Padma Vibhushan (2008), the second highest civilian honour of India. He is the most sponsored player in world cricket and has a huge fan following even amongst foreign audiences. Tendulkar has made numerous commercial ventures including opening a chain of restaurants in India.

Early years and personal life

Tendulkar was born on April 24, 1973 in Mumbai, India. His father, Ramesh Tendulkar, a Marathi novelist, named Tendulkar after his favorite music director, Sachin Dev Burman. Tendulkar's elder brother, Ajit, encouraged him to play cricket. Tendulkar has two other siblings: brother, Nitin, and sister, Savitai.

Tendulkar attended Sharadashram Vidyamandir (High School), 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 the fast bowling trainer there, Dennis Lillee, suggested to him to "just focus" on his batting.

When Tendulkar was young, he would practice for hours with his coach. He would often get bored of practicing. So his coach would put a one-Rupee-coin on the top of the stumps. The bowler who dismissed Sachin would get the coin. If Sachin passed the whole session without getting dismissed, the coach would give him the coin. Sachin now considers the 13 coins he won then as his most prized possessions.[8]

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, 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 also went 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.[9] 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.

When he was 14, Indian batting maestro Sunil Gavaskar gave him a pair of his used ultra light pads. "It was the greatest source of encouragement for me," he said nearly 20 years later after surpassing Gavaskar's top world record of 34 Test centuries. This was in the same year as his first-class debut. Tendulkar never played for any Under-19 teams, crossing straight into the seniors.

In 1995, Sachin Tendulkar married Anjali (born 10 November 1967), the paediatrician daughter of Gujarati industrialist, Anand Mehta. They have two children, Sara (born 12 October 1997), and Arjun (born 24 September 1999).[10]

Tendulkar sponsors 200 underprivileged children every year through Apnalaya, a Mumbai-based NGO associated with his mother-in-law, Annaben Mehta. He is reluctant to speak about his charitable activities[citation needed], choosing to preserve the sanctity of his personal life despite media interest in him

Achievements

Some remarkable achievements of his career are:

• Most runs (over 13000) and centuries (37) in one-day internationals
• Most Number of Man of the Matches in one-day internationals
• Most Number of Runs in World Cup Cricket History
• First cricketer to cross 10,000-run mark in ODIs
• Has equalled Sunil Gavaskar's record of 34 test centuries.
• Among those who have played over 100 test matches, he is the only one with a batting average above 55.
• Only second Indian to cross 10,000 runs in Test matches.
• He has the most centuries in ODI cricket against Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
• He is the fifth and fastest batsman to reach the 10,000 runs milestone in Test Cricket.He did this in only his 122nd Test match.
• To go with this he has 34 hundreds in Test cricket at an average of 57. An average above 50 distinguishes a batsman as an all time great.

While his batting ranks him among the best in the world, he is also a part-time bowler and has played a crucial role as a leg spinner or a medium pace bowler who tends to break partnerships. He has more than a hundred wickets in ODIs and 35 in tests, though his bowling averages are above 40. He continues to perform well under the massive weight of expectation of hundreds of millions of cricket followers, in India and around the world, and most recently was named Player Of The Tournament in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

Sachin's batting in ODIs really took off after he was invited to open the innings at Auckland against New Zealand in 1994[1] after he had played nearly 70 matches. At the Auckland ODI Tendulkar slammed the ball all around the stadium with a firepower that was not seen in cricket in those days. He went on to make 82 runs in 49 balls. Tendulkar's considerably better performance as an opener dawned upon everyone else. He was to stay as India's opener for long time after that. His first hundred came later that year against Australia in Colombo. He now scores a century every six innings that he plays.

Tendulkar has a shrewd cricketing brain and has a good arm from the outfield. Sachin's record as captain, however, has not been outstanding. His contribution to the game and his role in attracting a following to the game goes beyond his record. His game is characterized by style, aggression and often dazzling brilliance. Sachin has earned respect from fans and cricketers around the world due to his down-to-earth nature which he maintains despite being treated as a national icon.

Tendulkar had an excellent fitness record but in 1999 he suffered a career-threatening back injury. This was followed by another fitness problem. Tendulkar had to miss out on two tournaments in as he was recovering from tennis elbow. He was struggling to be fit for the home test series against Australia. However, he has overcome the injury well, as he displayed in the recent double hundred against Bangladesh.

Sachin's fame in his own country is such that he is virtually a prisoner in his own home with his appearances in public causing near-riots amongst fevered fans. He is known to take his car for late-night drives around the city as one of the few chances to escape the protective bubble in which he is forced to exist. Sachin is married to his childhood friend Dr. Anjali. He has a five year old daughter Sara and a son Arjun, who is three.

Perhaps the biggest reminder of his fame, Sachin was recently made a textbook lesson in Indian schools so that children can draw inspiration from his achievements.

Australian bowling great Shane Warne who is among Wisden's list of five greatest cricket players in 21st century has had a particularly bad time against Tendulkar. He described incidents when he got up in the night from dreams where Tendulkar was smashing him around the ground.

International career

Early career

Tendulkar played his first Test match against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989 under the leadership of Kris Srikkanth. According to Cricinfo's Andrew Miller and Martin Williamson, India took an unconventional approach to combating the Pakistani pace attack by calling up a "baby-faced 16-year-old with one season of first-class cricket to his name".[14] He made just 15 runs, being bowled by Waqar Younis, who also made his debut in that match, but was impressive in how he handled numerous blows to his body at the hands of the Pakistani pace attack. [14] Tendulkar followed it up with his maiden Test fifty a few days later at Faisalabad. His One Day International (ODI) debut on December 18 was disappointing. He was dismissed without scoring a run, again by Waqar Younis. The series was followed by a tour of New Zealand in which he fell for 88 in the Second Test. His maiden Test century came in the next tour, to England in August 1990 at Old Trafford. Tendulkar further enhanced his development into a world-class batsman during the 1991–1992 tour of Australia that included an unbeaten 148 in Sydney (the first of many battles against Shane Warne who made his debut in the match) and a century on the fast and bouncy track at Perth. Merv Hughes famously commented to Allan Border at the time that "This little prick's going to get more runs than you, AB."[15]

Rise through the ranks
Sachin Tendulkar waits at the bowler's end
Sachin Tendulkar waits at the bowler's end

Tendulkar's performance through the years 1994–1999 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.[16] He went on to make 82 runs off 49 balls. He scored his first ODI century on September 9, 1994 against Australia in Sri Lanka at Colombo. It had taken him 79 ODIs to score a century.

In 1996 against Pakistan in Sharjah, Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin was going through a lean patch. Tendulkar and Navjot Singh Sidhu both made centuries to set a record partnership for the second wicket. After getting out, Tendulkar found Azharuddin in two minds to bat out. Tendulkar boosted Azharuddin to bat and Azharuddin subsequently unleashed 29 runs in mere 10 balls. It enabled India post a score in excess of 300 runs for the first time. India went on to win that match.

Tendulkar's rise continued when he was the leading run scorer at the 1996 Cricket World Cup, topping the batting averages whilst scoring two centuries. He was the only Indian batsman to perform in the infamous semi-final of that World Cup. When Tendulkar's wicket fell, the Indian batting lineup collapsed and India conceded defeat after the crowd began angry demonstrations.

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 pre-meditated 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. Following the series Shane Warne ruefully joked that he was having nightmares about his Indian nemesis.[17] He also had a role with the ball in that series, including a 5 wicket haul in an ODI. Set 310 runs to win, Australia were cruising comfortably at 203/3 in the 31st over. Sachin 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.[18]

Tendulkar single-handedly won the ICC 1998 quarterfinal at Dhaka to pave way for India's entry into the semifinals, when he took 4 Australian wickets after scoring 141 runs in just 128 balls.

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.[19]

Captaincy

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!",[20] which translates into: "He won't win! It's not in the small one's destiny".

Tendulkar, succeeding Azharuddin as captain for his second term, then led India on a tour of Australia, where the visitors were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by the newly-crowned world champions.[21] After another Test series defeat, this time by a 0-2 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.

Injuries and decline

Tendulkar continued his good form 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.

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. The drawn series as India toured Australia in 2003/04 saw Tendulkar making his mark in the last Test of the series, with 241* in Sydney, putting India in a virtually unbeatable position. He followed up the innings with an unbeaten 50 in the second innings of the test and then an unbeaten 194 against Pakistan at Multan in the following series. The 194 was controversial in that he was stranded prior to reaching his double century as a result of a declaration by Rahul Dravid. In meeting with the press that evening, Tendulkar responded to a question on missing 200 against Pakistan by stating that he was disappointed and that the declaration had taken him by surprise.[22] Many former cricketers commented that Dravid's declaration was in bad taste.[23][24] The media noted at the time that the decision had apparently been made by Sourav Ganguly,[25] and Ganguly himself later admitted that it had been a mistake.[26] The controversy was put to rest when Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and coach John Wright spoke to the media after the team's victory and stated that the matter was spoken internally and put to rest.[27]

Although he was in strong form, 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, though Australia took the series 2-1.

On 10 December 2005, at Feroz Shah Kotla, he scored record-breaking 35th Test century, against the Sri Lankans. On 6 February 2006, Tendulkar scored his 39th ODI hundred, in a match against Pakistan. He followed with a run-a-ball 42 in the second ODI against Pakistan on February 11, 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,[28][29] 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. Tendulkar was operated upon for his injured shoulder. In July 2006, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that Tendulkar had overcome his injury problem following a rehabilitation programme and was available for selection, and he was eventually selected for the next series.

Return to form

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*, West Indies won the rain-affected match by the D/L method.

In the preparation for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Tendulkar was criticized by Greg Chappell on his attitude.[30] 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.[31]

At the Cricket World Cup 2007 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 by the Greg Chappell had scores of 7 (Bangladesh), 57* (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.[32]

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 90+ in the Future Cup against South Africa. He was the leading run scorer and was adjudged the Man of the Series.[33]
Tendulkar upon reaching his 38th Test century against Australia in the 2nd Test at the SCG in 2008, where he finished not out on 154
Tendulkar 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.[34] In the subsequent One day series against England, Tendulkar was the leading run scorer from India[35] 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.[36]

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 career. Tendulkar has got out 23 times between 90 and 100 in his international career. On 8 November 2007 he got out on 99 against Pakistan in an ODI at Mohali to the bowling of Umar Gul caught by Kamran Akmal. In the fourth ODI, he got out on 97 (off 102 balls with 16 fours) after dragging a delivery from Umar Gul on to his stumps, falling short of another century in ODIs in 2007.

In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 2007-08, 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 in Perth, Sachin was instrumental in India's first innings score of 330, scoring a well compiled 71, only to be dismissed by what was later confirmed to be a questionable LBW decision. India went on to record a historic triumph at the WACA. In the fourth Test at Adelaide, 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, Sachin 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 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 Sachin came back strongly in India's must-win game against Sri Lanka at Hobart, scoring 63 off 54 balls. He finished the series with a match winning 117 not out of 120 balls in the first final,[37] and 91 runs in the second final.[38]

Style of play

Tendulkar is ambidextrous: He bats, bowls, and throws with his right hand, but writes with his left hand.[39] 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".[40] 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 the Caribbean Islands and Australia.[40] 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.

Sir Donald Bradman, 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."[41]
Tendulkar at the crease.

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.[42] Buchanan also believes Tendulkar has a weakness while playing left-arm pace.[42]. 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 (1) No batsman can bat the same way for the entire length of a long career and (2) He is a senior member of the team now and thus has more responsibility. However, it cannot be denied that his batting became less attractive since 2004 and while a string of his highest scores have come within this time period, the consistency has been lacking.[citation needed] 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, recently remarked that "Tendulkar now, is nothing like the player he was when he was a young bloke".[43]. However, during the latest tour of Australia in 2008, Tendulkar displayed glimpses of his attacking style with several masterful innings, dominating attacks in a manner reminiscent of his younger days.

While Tendulkar is not a regular bowler, he is adept at bowling medium pace, leg spin, and off spin with equal ease. He often bowls when two batsmen of the opposite team have been batting together for a long period, and he can often be a useful partnership breaker. With his bowling, he has helped secure an Indian victory on more than one occasion.[44]

Career achievements

Main articles: Achievements of Sachin Tendulkar and List of ODI Awards for Sachin Tendulkar

An innings-by-innings breakdown of Tendulkar's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).
An innings-by-innings breakdown of Tendulkar's Test match batting career, 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 16,361 runs and the second highest run scorer in Test matches with 11,782 runs after Brian Lara. He also holds the record of highest number of centuries in both Test (39) and ODI cricket (42). 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 elected Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1997 and is ranked by the objective scoring method of the Wisden 100 as the second best test batsman and best ODI batsman of all time.

Tendulkar has also consistently done well in Cricket World Cups (excluding the 2007 Cricket World Cup in which India were knocked out after only 3 matches). Tendulkar was the highest run scorer of the 2003 Cricket World Cup and 1996 Cricket World Cup. Tendulkar has scored over 1000 runs in a calendar year in ODIs 7 times, and in one of these years 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.

He has been Man of the Match 11 times in Test matches and Man of the Series 4 times,[45] out of them twice in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. The performances earned him respect from Australian cricket fans and players.[15]

Individual Honours

* Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, 2008.[46]
* ICC World ODI XI: 2004, 2007
* Player of the tournament in 2003 Cricket World Cup
* Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 1997
* Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, 1999.[47]
* Arjuna Award, by the Government of India in recognition of his outstanding achievement in Cricket, 1994.[48]
* Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports, 1997-98.[49]

In September 2007, formet Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne published his list of 50 greatest cricketers ever, in which Sachin had secured the number 1 spot.[50] In January 2008, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suggested that Sachin should be conferred with an honorary knighthood for his contribution to international cricket.[51]

Controversies

Mike Denness incident

Main article: Mike Denness and Indian cricket team incident

In the second test of India's 2001 tour of South Africa, match referee Mike Denness fined 4 Indian players for excessive appealing as well as the Indian captain Sourav Ganguly for not controlling his team.[52] Tendulkar was given a suspended ban of one game 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 in the second test match between India and South Africa at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth.[53] 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.[54] The incident escalated to include allegations of racism,[55] and led to Mike Denness being barred from entering the venue of the third test match. After a thorough investigation, the International Cricket Council revoked the official status of the match and the ban on Tendulkar was lifted. Tendulkar's ball tampering charges and Sehwag's ban for excessive appealing triggered a massive backlash from the Indian public and even the Indian parliament.[56]

Controversy over Ferrari customs waiver

In commemorating Sachin Tendulkar's feat of equalling Don Bradman's 29 centuries in Test Cricket, automotive giant Ferrari invited Sachin Tendulkar to its paddock in Silverstone on the eve of the British Grand Prix (23 July 2002) to receive a Ferrari 360 Modena from the legendary F1 racer Michael Schumacher.[57] On September 4, 2002 India's then finance minister Jaswant Singh wrote to Sachin telling him that the government will waive custom's duty imposed on the car as a measure to applaud his feat.[58] 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 (Rs 1.13 Crores or 120% on the car value of Rs 75 Lakhs).[59] When the move to waive customs duty became public in July 2003, political and social activists protested the waiver[60] and filed PIL in the Delhi High Court. With the controversy snowballing, Sachin offered to pay the customs duty and the tab was finally picked up by Ferrari.[61] Tendulkar has been seen taking his Ferrari 360 Modena for late-night drives in Mumbai.

Fan following

Sachin Tendulkar's entry into world cricket was very much hyped up by former Indian stars and those who had seen him play. By scoring his first half-century in his second match and his first century aged 17, Tendulkar's consistent performances earned him a fan following across the globe, including amongst Australian crowds, where Tendulkar has consistently scored centuries.[15] One of the most popular sayings by Sachin's fans is "Cricket is my religion and Tendulkar is my God".[51][62][63]

At home in Mumbai, Tendulkar's fan following is so great that he is unable to lead a normal life. 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".[43] 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.[64]

Business Interests

Tendulkar's immense popularity has led him to numerous profitable business dealings in the past. He currently has the most sponsorships out of all players in world cricket. Sachin Tendulkar was an early pioneer in India on cricket business dealings when he signed a then record sports management deal with Worldtel in 1995, the value of the deal being 30 crore rupees over 5 years.[65] His next contract with WorldTel in 2001 was valued at 80 crores over 5 years.[66] In 2006, he signed a contract with Saatchi and Saatchi's ICONIX values at 180 crores over 3 years.[67] He is the highest earning cricketer in the world.

Making use of his popularity, Tendulkar has opened two restaurants: 'Tendulkar's'[68] (Colaba, Mumbai) & 'Sachin's'[69] (Mulund, Mumbai). Sachin owns these restaurants in partnership with Sanjay Narang of Mars Restaurants. He has also got a new restaurant in Bangalore called Sachin's.

In 2007, Tendulkar also announced a JV with the Fortune Group and Manipal Group to launch healthcare and sports fitness products under the brand name 'S Drive and Sach'.[70] A series of comic books by Virgin Comics is also due to be published featuring him as a superhero.[71]

Product and Brand Endorsments

Sachin Tendulkar endorses the following products:

* Pepsi: 1992 - Present[72]
* Canon: 2006 - 2009[73]
* Airtel: 2004-2006[74]
* Nazara Technologies: 2005 - 2008. License for Mobile Content development based on Sachin.[75]
o Reliance Communications sub-licensed brand 'Sachin Tendulkar' to update the user of the latest 2007 Cricket World Cup scores and news in Sachin's voice. Hutch - ICC's prime communication sponsor protested calling Reliance's plan as 'ambush marketing', a charge that Reliance Communication denies.[76]
* Britannia: 2001 - 2007[77]
* HomeTrade: 2001 - 2002[78]
* Sunfeast: 2007 - 2013/14[79]
* National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC): 2003 - 2005[80]
* Boost: 1990 - Present[81]
* Action Shoes: 1995 - 2000[82]
* Adidas: 2000-2010[83]
* Fiat Palio: 2001 to 2003[84]
* Reynolds: 2007 - Present[85]
* TVS: 2002 - 2005[86]
* ESPN Star Sports: 2002 - Present[87]
* G-Hanz: 2005 - 2007[88]
* Sanyo BPL: 2007 - Present[89]
* AIDS Awareness Campaign: 2005[90]
* Colgate-Palmolive[91]
* Philips[91]
* MRF[91]
* VISA[91]

Biographies

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 978-0143028543[92]
* The A to Z of Sachin Tendulkar by Gulu Ezekiel. Publisher: Penguin Global. ISBN 978-8174765307[93][94]
* Sachin Tendulkar-a definitive biography by Vaibhav Purandare. Publisher: Roli Books. ISBN 8174363602[95][96]
* Sachin Tendulkar - Masterful by Peter Murray, Ashish Shukla. Publisher: Rupa. ISBN 8171678068[97][98]

See also
Cricket portal
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Sachin Tendulkar

* List of International cricket centuries by Sachin Tendulkar
* Indian cricket team
* Indian national cricket captains
* Wisden Cricketers of the Year
* List of One-day International records