Sachin Tendulkar Turns 45: 10 Cool Facts About the Cricketing Legend to Celebrate his Birthday

Sachin Tendulkar is unarguably one of the finest cricketers that Indian Cricket has ever produced. When most youngsters have not even crossed the fences of the school, 16 – year-old Sachin  was already facing the pacers in  Karachi against Pakistan in 1989, thus making his debut. Only half way through his career, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ranked him the second greatest Test batsman of all time, behind Don Bradman, and the second greatest ODI batsman of all time, behind Viv Richards. There is hardly any achievements that the Master Blaster has not achieved thus he is addressed as the ‘God of Cricket’. Here are some cool facts about the right-hander.

• He was named after the legendary music composer Sachin Dev Burman.
• He used to sleep with his pads on during his junior days.
• At the age of 14, he was ball-boy for India vs Zimbabwe, World Cup 1987.
• He scored a ton at each of his debuts including Ranji, Irani and Duleep Trophy.
• The first time he opened for India in 1994 in ODIs against New Zealand, Tendulkar made 82 off 49 balls.
• When he was given his first Man of the Match, he received a champagne bottle. But Tendulkar couldn’t drink that as he was under aged. Thus he opened the bottle at Sara’s first birthday.
• In 2007, during India vs Australia ODI series, Brad Hogg got the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar. Brad then asked the Master Blaster to oblige him with a signature to archive his dismissal. Tendulkar obliged with  the same and wrote, “This will never happen again, Hoggy.” The Australian could never dismiss him again.
• Tendulkar became the first cricketer to represent Yorkshire, a county that never selected cricketers from other country.
• Though Sachin is a right handed batsman and a bowler, he is a left-hander naturally.
• He remembers every bowler who dismissed him.

We wish the master blaster a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 24, 2018 12:02 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).