Sachin Tendulkar is one of the most iconic cricketers in the history of the sport. Known as the “Little Master,” he is considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time.
Early Career
Tendulkar made his debut for Bombay in the Ranji Trophy at the age of 14, but he wasn’t selected for the final eleven in any of the matches. However, he quickly proved his talent when he scored 100 not out in his debut match for Bombay against Gujarat at the age of 15 years and 232 days. This made him the youngest Indian to score a century on debut in first-class cricket.
He was selected for the team by Bombay captain Dilip Vengsarkar after he impressed Vengsarkar while playing Kapil Dev in Wankhede Stadium’s cricket practice nets, where the Indian team had come to play against the touring New Zealand team. He continued his good form by scoring a century in his first Deodhar and Duleep Trophies, which are also Indian domestic tournaments.
Tendulkar finished the 1988-89 Ranji Trophy season as Bombay’s highest run-scorer, scoring 583 runs at an average of 67.77. In the 1990-91 Ranji Trophy final, Tendulkar’s 96 from 75 balls was key to giving Bombay a chance of victory as it attempted to chase 355 from only 70 overs on the final day.
Career Highlights
Tendulkar has many career highlights that showcase his incredible talent. In the final of 1995 Ranji Trophy, Tendulkar, captaining Bombay, scored 140 and 139 versus Punjab. In the 1995-96 Irani Cup, he captained Mumbai against Rest of India. His first double century (204*) was for Mumbai while playing against the visiting Australian team at the Brabourne Stadium in 1998. He is the only player to score a century on debut in all three of his domestic first-class tournaments (the Ranji, Irani, and Duleep Trophies).
Another notable inning was his score of 233* against Tamil Nadu in the semi-finals of the 2000 Ranji Trophy, which he regards as one of the best innings of his career. In total, Tendulkar was part of 5 Ranji trophy finals, in which Mumbai won 4.
Playing for Yorkshire
In 1992, Tendulkar became the first overseas-born player to represent Yorkshire at the age of 19. Prior to Tendulkar joining the team, Yorkshire had never selected players, even UK-based, from outside Yorkshire. Selected for Yorkshire as a replacement for the injured Australian fast bowler Craig McDermott, Tendulkar played 16 first-class matches for the team and scored 1,070 runs at an average of 46.52.
Sachin Tendulkar is undoubtedly one of the greatest cricketers of all time. His incredible career highlights and talent have earned him a place in cricketing history. His dedication to the sport and his passion for cricket has made him an inspiration to many young players around the world. Sachin Tendulkar will always be remembered as the “Cricket God” who changed the face of cricket.
