Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, AO, is a former Indian international cricketer and captain of the Indian national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket, Tendulkar holds numerous records and achievements. He is the all-time highest run-scorer in both One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test cricket, amassing more than 18,000 runs and 15,000 runs, respectively. Tendulkar also holds the record for receiving the most man-of-the-match awards in international cricket.

Born on April 24, 1973, Tendulkar made his mark in cricket at a young age. At just 14 years old, he was selected to represent Bombay in the Ranji Trophy, although he did not play in the matches. However, on December 11, 1988, at the age of 15 years and 232 days, he made his debut for Bombay and scored an unbeaten century, becoming the youngest Indian to achieve this feat in first-class cricket. Tendulkar’s talent was recognized by Bombay captain Dilip Vengsarkar, who selected him for the team after observing his skills during practice sessions against the touring New Zealand team.

Tendulkar continued to excel in domestic cricket, finishing the 1988-89 Ranji Trophy season as Bombay’s highest run-scorer. He showcased his abilities in both the Deodhar and Duleep Trophies, earning a place in a young Indian team that toured England in 1988 and 1990-91. Despite Bombay’s narrow loss to Haryana in the 1990-91 Ranji Trophy final, Tendulkar’s impressive knock of 96 from 75 balls gave his team a chance to chase a challenging total.