Sachin Tendulkar, one name that needs no introduction for Indian sports lovers. The cricket maestro, for decades, carried the hopes of billions on the cricket field. The numerous world records, including most international runs and centuries, is only one part of the Sachin Tendulkar's greatness. The respect that he commanded from his fellow teammates and rivals is a testament to his impact. Sachin Tendulkar got a fitting reward for his persistence when the Indian cricket team won 2011 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium, with the superstar being part of the team.
Now, Sachin Tendulkar's life-sized statue has unveiled at the Wankhede Stadium on the eve of India's World Cup clash against Sri Lanka.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) President Amol Kale, Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar, and Sachin's wife Anjali Tendulkar, daughter Sara Tendulkar, and brother Ajit Tendulkar were present during the unveiling of the statue.
The statue is dedicated to 50 years of Tendulkar's life and has been installed by the MCA near Sachin Tendulkar Stand at the stadium, and it was unveiled today.
Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, team India's supporter and a fan of Sachin, was also present during the ceremony. He blew a conch shell and waved the Indian flag.
Sachin is considered as the greatest batter to have played the game. With 34,357 runs in 664 international appearances at an average of 48.52, Sachin is the highest run-scorer in international cricket. He has scored 100 centuries and 164 half-centuries, most in international cricket. He is the only player to have a century of centuries.
With 18,426 runs in ODIs and 15,921 runs in Tests, Sachin also has the highest runs in both formats. He is the first player to hit an ODI double hundred and to have played 200 Test matches.
He also has 201 international wickets to his name, making him a very useful part-time spin bowling option. With a total of 664 international appearances, he is the most-capped player of all time. He is part of the Indian Team which won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011.
Sachin has played six IPL seasons from 2008-2013, all for Mumbai Indians, where he has scored a total of 2334 runs in 78 matches at an average of 34.84. Sachin has 13 fifties and one hundred under his belt, hitting 29 sixes and 295 fours with a strike rate of 119.82. He won the 2013 edition of the tournament with the franchise as a player.
Sachin's best performance came in IPL 2010. He scored 618 runs in 15 matches at an average of 47.53 at a strike rate of 132.61. He scored five fifties that season and his best individual score was 89*. He won the 'Orange Cap' that season. MI finished as runners-up that season.
With ANI inputs