Sachin Tendulkar: Biography, Records, Centuries & Career Stats

Published: November 21, 2024, 10:42 PM IST | Updated: October 25, 2026, 12:08 AM IST
Written by PIJUSH PAL | Edited and fact-checked by Amit Saha | Editorial policy

Sachin Tendulkar is a former Indian batter and the only player to score 100 international centuries (51 Test, 49 ODI). He played for India from 1989 to 2013 and holds the records for the most Test runs (15,921) and most ODI runs (18,426). He won the 2011 World Cup and in 2014 became the first sportsperson to receive the Bharat Ratna.

Sachin Tendulkar: Key Facts

Full name	Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar
Born	24 April 1973, Mumbai
Nickname	The Little Master, Master Blaster
Role	Right-handed batter, part-time spinner
International career	1989–2013
Test debut	15 Nov 1989 v Pakistan, Karachi (aged 16)
Last match	200th Test v West Indies, Mumbai, Nov 2013
International centuries	100 (51 Test, 49 ODI)
International runs	34,357
World Cup	Won 2011
Teams	India, Mumbai, Yorkshire, Mumbai Indians
Highest honour	Bharat Ratna (2014)
Wife	Anjali Tendulkar (m. 1995)
Children	Sara, Arjun

What Are Sachin Tendulkar’s Career Stats?

Tendulkar scored 15,921 Test runs at 53.78 and 18,426 ODI runs at 44.83, both world records.

Format	Matches	Runs	Highest	Average	100s	50s	Wickets
Test	200	15,921	248*	53.78	51	68	46
ODI	463	18,426	200*	44.83	49	96	154
T20I	1	10	10	10.00	0	0	1
IPL	78	2,334	100*	34.84	1	13	0
First-class	310	25,396	248*	57.84	81	116	71

What Records Does Sachin Tendulkar Hold?

Tendulkar holds the records for most international centuries, most Test and ODI runs, and most Test and ODI matches.

• 100 international centuries, the only player to reach the mark
• Most Test runs: 15,921
• Most Test centuries: 51
• Most ODI runs: 18,426
• Most Tests: 200, the only player to reach 200
• Most ODIs: 463
• First double century in men’s ODIs: 200* v South Africa, 2010
• Most ODI World Cup runs: 2,278
• Most ODI runs in a calendar year: 1,894 in 1998
• Most player of the match awards in international cricket: 76
• Most Test scores of 150+: 20
• Youngest Indian Test centurion: 17 years 112 days

His 49 ODI centuries were the world record until Virat Kohli passed them in 2023. Compare current players in most centuries in international cricket.

Sachin Tendulkar Career Timeline

Year	Milestone
1973	Born in Mumbai on 24 April
1984	Starts training under coach Ramakant Achrekar at Shivaji Park
1988	Unbroken 664-run school partnership with Vinod Kambli; century on first-class debut for Bombay, aged 15
1989	Test and ODI debuts against Pakistan, aged 16
1990	First Test century, 119* at Old Trafford
1992	Becomes Yorkshire’s first overseas player
1994	Starts opening in ODIs; first ODI century v Australia in Colombo
1996	Leading run-scorer at the World Cup (523 runs); first spell as India captain
1998	“Desert Storm” centuries in Sharjah; record 1,894 ODI runs in the year
1999	Father dies during the World Cup; returns to make 140* v Kenya; first Test double century (217)
2002	Passes Don Bradman’s 29 Test centuries
2003	Player of the tournament at the World Cup (673 runs)
2005	35th Test century, passing Sunil Gavaskar’s record
2008	Passes Brian Lara to become Test cricket’s leading run-scorer
2010	First double century in men’s ODIs; first to 50 Test centuries; ICC Cricketer of the Year
2011	Wins the World Cup with India
2012	100th international century (16 March); retires from ODIs; joins Rajya Sabha
2013	Retires after his 200th Test in Mumbai; wins IPL with Mumbai Indians
2014	Receives the Bharat Ratna
2019	Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
2023	Statue unveiled at the Wankhede Stadium
2025	BCCI’s C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award; England–India Test series renamed the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy

Early Life and Domestic Career

Tendulkar was born in Dadar, Mumbai, to Marathi novelist Ramesh Tendulkar and Rajni, who worked in insurance. His brother Ajit took him to coach Ramakant Achrekar in 1984. Dennis Lillee later advised him to drop fast bowling and focus on batting.

• 1988: 326* in a 664-run Harris Shield stand with Vinod Kambli.
• First-class debut: 100* for Bombay v Gujarat, 11 December 1988, aged 15.
• Unique record: centuries on debut in the Ranji, Duleep and Irani Trophies.
• Yorkshire 1992: the county’s first overseas player, 1,070 runs at 46.52.
• First-class total: 81 centuries, level with Sunil Gavaskar’s Indian record.

How Did Sachin Tendulkar Do at World Cups?

Tendulkar played six ODI World Cups (1992–2011), scored a record 2,278 runs and won the title in 2011.

World Cup	Highlight
1996	Top run-scorer with 523 runs
1999	140* v Kenya days after his father’s death
2003	Player of the tournament, 673 runs; India runners-up
2011	482 runs with two centuries; India champions

When Did Sachin Tendulkar Retire?

Tendulkar retired from international cricket after his 200th Test, against West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on 16 November 2013. He made 74 in his final innings.

• ODIs: retired 23 December 2012.
• IPL: retired after Mumbai Indians won the 2013 final.
• All cricket: announced 10 October 2013; last Test 14–16 November 2013.

Sachin Tendulkar’s IPL Career

Tendulkar played for Mumbai Indians from 2008 to 2013, scoring 2,334 runs in 78 matches.

• Orange Cap in 2010 with 618 runs, leading Mumbai to the final.
• Only T20 century: 100* off 66 balls v Kochi Tuskers Kerala, 2011.
• Part of Mumbai’s 2011 Champions League and 2013 IPL title-winning squads.

Was Sachin Tendulkar a Successful Captain?

No. India won 4 of 25 Tests and 23 of 73 ODIs under Tendulkar across two spells between 1996 and 2000. In 2007 he turned down the captaincy and recommended MS Dhoni.

Format	Matches	Won	Lost	Other
Test	25	4	9	12 drawn
ODI	73	23	43	1 tied, 6 no result

What Awards Has Sachin Tendulkar Won?

Tendulkar’s highest honour is the Bharat Ratna (2014); he was the first sportsperson and youngest person to receive it.

Year	Award
1994	Arjuna Award
1997	Wisden Cricketer of the Year
1997–98	Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
1999	Padma Shri
2008	Padma Vibhushan
2010	ICC Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (Cricketer of the Year)
2014	Bharat Ratna
2019	ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
2020	Laureus Sporting Moment 2000–2020
2025	BCCI C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award

Who Is Sachin Tendulkar’s Wife?

Tendulkar is married to paediatrician Anjali Tendulkar (née Mehta). They married on 24 May 1995 and have two children.

• Sara Tendulkar (born 1997): studied at University College London.
• Arjun Tendulkar (born 1999): left-arm seam-bowling all-rounder; has played for Mumbai and Goa, and made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in 2023.

Sachin Tendulkar Outside Cricket

• Rajya Sabha member, 2012–2018: donated his salary and allowances to the PM’s Relief Fund.
• Autobiography: Playing It My Way (2014), a record for adult hardback pre-orders.
• Film: Sachin: A Billion Dreams (2017), a docudrama in which he plays himself.
• Charity: Sachin Tendulkar Foundation and the Mumbai NGO Apnalaya.

Sachin Tendulkar’s 51 Test Centuries

No.	Score	Against	Venue	Date
1	119*	England	Old Trafford, Manchester	9 Aug 1990
2	148*	Australia	Sydney	2 Jan 1992
3	114	Australia	WACA, Perth	1 Feb 1992
4	111	South Africa	Johannesburg	26 Nov 1992
5	165	England	Chennai	11 Feb 1993
6	104*	Sri Lanka	SSC, Colombo	27 Jul 1993
7	142	Sri Lanka	Lucknow	18 Jan 1994
8	179	West Indies	Nagpur	1 Dec 1994
9	122	England	Edgbaston, Birmingham	6 Jun 1996
10	177	England	Trent Bridge, Nottingham	4 Jul 1996
11	169	South Africa	Cape Town	2 Jan 1997
12	143	Sri Lanka	R. Premadasa, Colombo	2 Aug 1997
13	139	Sri Lanka	SSC, Colombo	9 Aug 1997
14	148	Sri Lanka	Wankhede, Mumbai	3 Dec 1997
15	155*	Australia	Chennai	6 Mar 1998
16	177	Australia	Bangalore	25 Mar 1998
17	113	New Zealand	Wellington	26 Dec 1998
18	136	Pakistan	Chennai	28 Jan 1999
19	124*	Sri Lanka	SSC, Colombo	24 Feb 1999
20	126*	New Zealand	Mohali	10 Oct 1999
21	217	New Zealand	Ahmedabad	29 Oct 1999
22	116	Australia	Melbourne	26 Dec 1999
23	122	Zimbabwe	Delhi	18 Nov 2000
24	201*	Zimbabwe	Nagpur	25 Nov 2000
25	126	Australia	Chennai	18 Mar 2001
26	155	South Africa	Bloemfontein	3 Nov 2001
27	103	England	Ahmedabad	11 Dec 2001
28	176	Zimbabwe	Nagpur	21 Feb 2002
29	117	West Indies	Port of Spain	19 Apr 2002
30	193	England	Headingley, Leeds	22 Aug 2002
31	176	West Indies	Kolkata	30 Oct 2002
32	241*	Australia	Sydney	2 Jan 2004
33	194*	Pakistan	Multan	28 Mar 2004
34	248*	Bangladesh	Dhaka	10 Dec 2004
35	109	Sri Lanka	Delhi	10 Dec 2005
36	101	Bangladesh	Chittagong	18 May 2007
37	122*	Bangladesh	Mirpur	25 May 2007
38	154*	Australia	Sydney	2 Jan 2008
39	153	Australia	Adelaide	24 Jan 2008
40	109	Australia	Nagpur	6 Nov 2008
41	103*	England	Chennai	11 Dec 2008
42	160	New Zealand	Hamilton	18 Mar 2009
43	100*	Sri Lanka	Ahmedabad	16 Nov 2009
44	105*	Bangladesh	Chittagong	17 Jan 2010
45	143	Bangladesh	Mirpur	24 Jan 2010
46	100	South Africa	Nagpur	6 Feb 2010
47	106	South Africa	Kolkata	14 Feb 2010
48	203	Sri Lanka	SSC, Colombo	26 Jul 2010
49	214	Australia	Bangalore	9 Oct 2010
50	111*	South Africa	Centurion	16 Dec 2010
51	146	South Africa	Cape Town	2 Jan 2011

Sachin Tendulkar’s 49 ODI Centuries

No.	Score	Against	Venue	Date
1	110	Australia	R. Premadasa, Colombo	9 Sep 1994
2	115	New Zealand	Vadodara	28 Oct 1994
3	105	West Indies	Jaipur	11 Nov 1994
4	112*	Sri Lanka	Sharjah	9 Apr 1995
5	127*	Kenya	Cuttack	18 Feb 1996
6	137	Sri Lanka	Delhi	2 Mar 1996
7	100	Pakistan	Singapore	5 Apr 1996
8	118	Pakistan	Sharjah	15 Apr 1996
9	110	Sri Lanka	R. Premadasa, Colombo	28 Aug 1996
10	114	South Africa	Mumbai	14 Dec 1996
11	104	Zimbabwe	Benoni	9 Feb 1997
12	117	New Zealand	Bangalore	14 May 1997
13	100	Australia	Kanpur	7 Apr 1998
14	143	Australia	Sharjah	22 Apr 1998
15	134	Australia	Sharjah	24 Apr 1998
16	100*	Kenya	Kolkata	31 May 1998
17	128	Sri Lanka	R. Premadasa, Colombo	7 Jul 1998
18	127*	Zimbabwe	Bulawayo	26 Sep 1998
19	141	Australia	Dhaka	28 Oct 1998
20	118*	Zimbabwe	Sharjah	8 Nov 1998
21	124*	Zimbabwe	Sharjah	13 Nov 1998
22	140*	Kenya	Bristol	23 May 1999
23	120	Sri Lanka	SSC, Colombo	29 Aug 1999
24	186*	New Zealand	Hyderabad	8 Nov 1999
25	122	South Africa	Vadodara	17 Mar 2000
26	101	Sri Lanka	Sharjah	20 Oct 2000
27	146	Zimbabwe	Jodhpur	8 Dec 2000
28	139	Australia	Indore	31 Mar 2001
29	122*	West Indies	Harare	4 Jul 2001
30	101	South Africa	Johannesburg	5 Oct 2001
31	146	Kenya	Paarl	24 Oct 2001
32	105*	England	Chester-le-Street	4 Jul 2002
33	113	Sri Lanka	Bristol	11 Jul 2002
34	152	Namibia	Pietermaritzburg	23 Feb 2003
35	100	Australia	Gwalior	26 Oct 2003
36	102	New Zealand	Hyderabad	15 Nov 2003
37	141	Pakistan	Rawalpindi	16 Mar 2004
38	123	Pakistan	Ahmedabad	12 Apr 2005
39	100	Pakistan	Peshawar	6 Feb 2006
40	141*	West Indies	Kuala Lumpur	14 Sep 2006
41	100*	West Indies	Vadodara	31 Jan 2007
42	117*	Australia	Sydney	2 Mar 2008
43	163*	New Zealand	Christchurch	8 Mar 2009
44	138	Sri Lanka	R. Premadasa, Colombo	14 Sep 2009
45	175	Australia	Hyderabad	5 Nov 2009
46	200*	South Africa	Gwalior	24 Feb 2010
47	120	England	Bangalore	27 Feb 2011
48	111	South Africa	Nagpur	12 Mar 2011
49	114	Bangladesh	Mirpur	16 Mar 2012

Frequently Asked Questions

More: interesting facts about Sachin Tendulkar · most international centuries · cricket records index