When you consider famous figures in sporting history, you cannot overlook Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar, widely recognised in the cricket world, has had a profound impact on people across the globe, with an influence that extends well beyond cricket. Barack Obama famously revealed: “I don’t know about cricket, but still watch cricket to see Sachin play. Not because I love his play. It’s because I want to know the reason why my country’s production goes down 5 percent when he’s batting. But how did he achieve his fame in cricket, and what makes him such an iconic figure? Throughout this article, I will be detailing Tendulkar’s early life, cricket career (including key moments which define the icon he is today), post-retirement activities and impact around the world.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was in Mumbai, Maharashtra, on April 24th, 1973. As a child, Tendulkar was interested in both cricket and tennis, participating in these frequently after school. In 1984, his brother Ajit introduced him to cricket by taking him to train under coach Ramakant Achrekar at Shivaji Park. This introduction to cricket would change Tendulkar’s life forever. Tendulkar moved to Sharadashram Vidyamandir School in order to train before and after school. Under Achrekar, Tendulkar flourished in both club and school cricket. One of his most noteworthy achievements in school cricket was the 664- run partnership he shared with Vinod Kambli against St Xavier’s School. At age 11, Tendulkar made his club cricket debut in the Kanga league for the John Bright Cricket Club. The scale of his talent was such that Achrekar told the club owners that Tendulkar would only be available for a year, as he would be playing higher-level cricket next year. In 1987, he attended the MRF Pace Foundation to train as a fast bowler. However, the trainer, Denis Lillee, suggested that Tendulkar focus on his batting. Had the circumstance been different, this article might have been about Sachin Tendulkar, the legendary bowling icon! On December 11, 1988, at just 15 years and 232 days old, Tendulkar made his debut in the Ranji Trophy against Gujarat at the Wankhede Stadium and scored an unbeaten century. He would finish as Bombay’s highest run-scorer with 583 runs at an average of 68. Consistent performances in the Ranji Trophy got Tendulkar selected for the Irani Trophy against Delhi (played between the Ranji champions, in this case Delhi, and the “Rest of India”). Tendulkar would go on to score a hundred and was selected for India on the tour to Pakistan in 1989.
Tendulkar’s career spans decades – true longevity in the cricket world. However, here are the top three moments which define the icon he is today: 114 at the WACA, the group stage exit in the 2007 World Cup, and the 2011 World Cup triumph.
By 1992, Tendulkar was already a rising star. He had scored his first test century in England and came to Australia full of confidence. Australia has always been a tough place to tour for visiting teams. This would not change as India would go on to lost the series 4-0. Despite this, Tendulkar would go on to score two test centuries in the series with his 114 at Perth being a sign of things to come. In a match where India would not cross 300 in either innings, Tendulkar’s 114 in the first innings (out of a total of 272) further enhanced his reputation.
In the run up to the 2007 World Cup, India were in disarray. After being criticised by Greg Chappell, the Indian coach at the time, Tendulkar would be forced to bat in the middle order. This World Cup would turn out to be a disaster for India as they would lose to Bangladesh in their opening match and lose to Sri Lanka in their last match, resulting in a group stage exit. The experience took a significant emotional toll on Tendulkar, who later revealed that he went without food for three days and suffered from depression.
In the midst of all this, Ian Chappel (Journalist, former Australian cricketer) called for Tendulkar to retire and published an article called “Endulkar”. Tendulkar would later say in his book (“Playing it my way”) that this opinion only added fuel to the outrage in India. He goes on to describe Chappel as an “armchair expert sitting thousands of miles away”.
Finally, Tendulkar would achieve his greatest triumph in 2011, when he won the World Cup in India. He played a crucial role throughout the tournament and would finish as the second highest run scorer, with 482 runs at an average of 54. Despite not playing a big role in the final, Tendulkar became a World Champion at his home ground, Wankhede in Mumbai. He would go on to describe winning the World Cup as the “proudest moment of my life”. On the 15th of November 2013, Tendulkar retired from international cricket, playing his 200th test match against West Indies at Wankhede. He would say in his book that he wanted to finish at his home ground and
described it as life “coming in full circle”.
After retiring, Tendulkar has continued to lead a public life and has accomplished many things. In 2019, Tendulkar set up the Sachin Tendulkar foundation which focuses on providing education, healthcare, and sports to underprivileged areas in India. Also, Tendulkar has remained connected to cricket, serving as a mentor for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
So, why is Tendulkar an important figure? The answer to this key question is his legacy. So what is his legacy? For me, it is the impact he has had on people all around the globe.
To many, he is seen as a hero, a symbol of national pride and the heartbeat of India, who often united the nation with his achievements, such as winning the World Cup in 2011 at home. This was aptly summarised by Harsha Bhogle, who said,: “If Sachin bats well, India sleeps well”. At a time when India was a developing nation and on the rise, Tendulkar had just started playing. Since then, India has grown to be a leading global economy and many have drawn parallels with Tendulkar’s career as well. At the same time, cricket contributes an immense revenue to the Indian economy and many see Tendulkar’s success on the world stage as pivotal in elevating Indian cricket.
What makes him important and iconic? Longevity: 25 years at the highest level.
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https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/tendulkar-s-early-years-in-club-cricket-684969>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989–90_Irani_Cup
https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/66464/sachin-tendulkar-headlines-like-endulkar-hurt-me-deeply