Sachin Tendulkar

The God of Cricket — 100 international centuries and 34,000+ international runs across a 24-year career are records that stand alone.

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was born in Mumbai in 1973 and made his Test debut for India against Pakistan in November 1989 aged 16 years and 205 days. He played his final Test in November 2013 — a 24-year international career unprecedented in the sport's history. His Test record: 15,921 runs across 200 matches at an average of 53.78, with 51 centuries and 68 half-centuries. His ODI record: 18,426 runs in 463 matches at 44.83, with 49 centuries. His combined international total of 100 centuries — 51 in Tests, 49 in ODIs — is a record that no other cricketer has approached. He played for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy and had a county spell at Yorkshire in 1992, becoming the first overseas player to join the county as a full professional. He scored 15,310 runs in first-class cricket for Mumbai. He scored a double century in ODIs — the first player to achieve this, making 200 not out against South Africa in 2010. He was the first player to score 10,000 Test runs, 12,000, 14,000 and 15,000 — each record his alone. He won the ICC Cricket World Cup with India in 2011 — the tournament he had pursued across six editions. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2014 — India's highest civilian honour — the first sportsperson to receive it. One billion Indians followed his career across two and a half decades.

• ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 (India)
• Champions Trophy 2002 (India)
• Test Cricketer of Year 2010
• Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World 2010
• Arjuna Award 1994
• Bharat Ratna 2014
• 100 international centuries (unique record)