Dwayne Smith and Sachin Tendulkar guided Mumbai Indians to a ten-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur
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Dwayne Smith and Sachin Tendulkar guided Mumbai Indians to a ten-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur
Political career
In April 2012, Tendulkar accepted the Rajya Sabha nomination proposed by the president. He is the first active sportsperson and cricketer to have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha.[166] Reactions to this decision included: Sanjay Manjrekar
who said that he was "actually shocked by the story itself, first by
the nomination as it came without any warning. And that Sachin has
accepted it is even more shocking. When I visualise what Sachin could
possibly do after retirement, I thought something connected to cricket,
coaching and all that, may be some business or social activity. But
Rajya Sabha MP after retirement or even at this stage of career is
something that was not even in my wildest guess." MP and former
cricketer Kirti Azad
said that the move was akin to an honourary degree on an eminent person
and said that "Why should he not be successful? Unlike a Lok Sabha MP,
he does not have to worry about his constituency and he could focus on
the topics related to sports. I’m confident he will do a good job."
Former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar
reacted in saying that "so far, they were nominating persons from other
fields. Now that a sportsman has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha, a
good precedent has been set." DNA
questioned if Tendulkar could handle the political system and was aware
of the issues, though it also said that he has now outlined in partisan
politics in choosing a party after the nomination followed a visit to
the head of the Indian National Congress' residence in New Delhi[167] at the behest of party MP Sanjay Nirupam.[168] The nomination was also made by the president, who is a member of the INC, in the same year as she faces re-election. Actor Sanjay Dutt,
who had also tried to become a MP, said that "it is an honour to be in
the Rajya sabha. I am a fan of Sachin. He is the pride and jewel of
India. But, I am not happy that he is a Rajya Sabha member. He should
have been the way he is." He was also said to have the support of Amitabh Bacchan.[169] His decision to be a MP was also criticised in some quarters: Former Indian captain Ajit Wadekar
said that "hope[s Tendulkar] does not suffer the same fate as another
legend, Amitabh Bachchan, politics is a big game. He had only said he is
not going to retire soon. But, my fear is how will he divide his time
and responsibilities." Former member of the Indian 1983 Cricket World Cup team Madan Lal
was also surprised, saying that "the kind of person Sachin is, we never
expected him to take up politics." The Maharashtrian party Shiv Sena's MP Sanjay Raut questioned the timing and asked "is Sachin being used to divert attention from the problems plaguing the Congress?" The Communist Party of India's Gurudas Dasgupta sad that "I welcome the decision to nominate Tendulkar, but at the same time when Sourav is in his top form, his name, too, should have been considered."[168] His current colleague Harbhajan Singh said that he was "proud that Sachin is getting the honour. He deserves much more than that. May God bless him always."[170] Anti-corruption campaigner Baba Ramdev said that the INC was using the nomination and Tendulkar's stature to boost its battered image through series of scandals and electoral defeats.[171] Former Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia
reacted neutrally saying a nomination of a sports candidate was a
personal choice to accept.On 2nd May,2012 sachin was selected as the
holder of seat no. 103 in the upper house "Rajya Sabha"[172
Commercial endorsements
Sachin Tendulkar has been sponsored by several brands throughout his career including Boost (1990–present),[143] Pepsi (1992–2009),[144] Action Shoes (1995–2000),[145] MRF (1999–2009),[146] Adidas (2000–10),[147] Britannia[148] Fiat Palio (2001–03),[149] TVS (2002–05),[150] ESPN Star Sports[151] Sunfeast (2007–13),[152] Canon (2006–09),[153] Airtel[154] Reynolds (2007–present),[155] G-Hanz (2005–07),[156] Sanyo BPL[157] Toshiba (2010–present),[158] Colgate-Palmolive,[159]Philips,[159] VISA,[159] Castrol India (2011–12),[160] Ujala Techno Bright[161] and Coca-Cola (2011–13)[162] (2001–07), (2002–present), (2004–06), (2007–present),
He has also been a spokesperson for National Egg Coordination Committee (2003–05),[163] AIDS Awareness Campaign (2005)[164] and Luminous India (2010–present)Business interests
30 crore (US$5.99 million) over five years.[136] His next contract with WorldTel in 2001 was valued at 80 crore (US$15.96 million) over five years.[137] In 2006, he signed a contract with Saatchi and Saatchi's ICONIX values at 180 crore (US$35.91 million) over three years.[138]
Tendulkar has opened two restaurants: Tendulkar's[139] (Colaba, Mumbai) and Sachin's[140] (Mulund, Mumbai) and Bangalore. Sachin owns these restaurants in partnership with Sanjay Narang of Mars Restaurants.
In 2007, Tendulkar also announced a JV
with the Future Group and Manipal Group to launch healthcare and sports
fitness products under the brand name 'S Drive and Sach'.[141] A series of comic books by Virgin Comics is also due to be published featuring him as a superheroFan following
Tendulkar's entry into world cricket was hyped up by former Indian
stars and those who had seen him play. Tendulkar's consistent
performances earned him a fan following across the globe, including
amongst Australian crowds, where Tendulkar has consistently scored
centuries.[58] One of the most popular sayings by his fans is "Cricket is my religion and Sachin is my God".[131] Cricinfo[132] During the Australian tour of India in 1998 Matthew Hayden said "I have seen God. He bats at no. 4 in India in Tests."[133] mentions in his profile that "... Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world."
At home in Mumbai, Tendulkar's fan following has caused him to lead a different lifestyle. Ian Chappell
has said that he would be unable to cope with the lifestyle Tendulkar
was forced to lead, having to "wear a wig and go out and watch a movie
only at night".[117]
In an interview with Tim Sheridan, Tendulkar admitted that he sometimes
went for quiet drives in the streets of Mumbai late at night when he
would be able to enjoy some peace and silence.[134] Tendulkar has a presence in the popular social networking site Twitter with the user name sachin_rt since May 2010Ferrari import tax
1.13 crore (US$225,435) or 120% on the car value of 75 lakh (US$149,600)).[128] When the move to waive customs duty became public in July 2003, political and social activists protested the waiver[129] and filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court. With the controversy snowballing, Fiat India agreed to pay the import dutyMike Denness incident
Main article: Mike Denness and Indian cricket team incident
In India's 2001 tour of South Africa in the second test match between India and South Africa at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth match referee Mike DennessSourav Ganguly for not controlling his team.[120] Tendulkar was given a suspended ban of one game by Mike Denness in light of alleged ball tampering. Television cameras picked up images that suggested Tendulkar may have been involved in cleaning the seam of the cricket ball.[121] This can, under some conditions, amount to altering the condition of the ball. The match referee Mike Denness found Sachin Tendulkar guilty of ball tampering charges and handed him a one Test match ban.[122] The incident escalated to include allegations of racism,[123]
and led to Mike Denness being barred from entering the venue of the
third test match. The ICC revoked the status of the match as a Test as
the teams rejected the appointed referee.[124] The charges against Tendulkar and Sehwag's ban for excessive appealing triggered a massive backlash from the Indian public fined four Indian players for excessive appealing as well as the Indian captain Style of play
Tendulkar is cross-dominant: He bats, bowls and throws with his right hand, but writes with his left hand.[111] He also practices left-handed throws at the nets on a regular basis. Cricinfo columnist Sambit Bal has described him as the "most wholesome batsman of his time".[1] His batting is based on complete balance and poise while limiting unnecessary movements and flourishes. He appears to show little preference for the slow and low wickets which are typical in India, and has scored many centuries on the hard, bouncy pitches in South Africa and Australia.[1] He is known for his unique punch style of hitting the ball over square. He is also renowned for his picture-perfect straight drive, often completed with no follow-through. Straight drive is his favourite shot.[112] In 2008 Sunil Gavaskar, in an article he wrote in the AFP, remarked that "it is hard to imagine any player in the history of the game who combines classical technique with raw aggression like the little champion does".[113]
Sir Donald Bradman, considered by many as the greatest batsman of all time, considered Tendulkar to have a batting style similar to his. In his biography, it is stated that "Bradman was most taken by Tendulkar's technique, compactness and shot production, and had asked his wife to have a look at Tendulkar, having felt that Tendulkar played like him. Bradman's wife, Jessie, agreed that they did appear similar."[114][115]
Former Australian cricket team coach John Buchanan voiced his opinion that Tendulkar had become susceptible to the short ball early in his innings because of a lack of footwork.[116] Buchanan also believes Tendulkar has a weakness while playing left-arm pace.[116] He was affected by a series of injuries since 2004. Since then Tendulkar's batting has tended to be less attacking. Explaining this change in his batting style, he has acknowledged that he is batting differently due to that fact that, firstly, no batsman can bat the same way for the entire length of a long career and, secondly, he is a senior member of the team now and thus has more responsibility. During the early part of his career he was a more attacking batsman and frequently scored centuries at close to a run a ball. Ian Chappell, former Australian player, remarked in 2007 that "Tendulkar now, is nothing like the player he was when he was a young bloke".[117]
Tendulkar has incorporated several modern and unorthodox strokes into his repertoire in recent times, including the paddle sweep, the scoop over short fine leg and the slash to third man over the slips' heads, over the last seven or eight years. This has enabled him to remain scoring consistently in spite of the physical toll of injuries and a lean period in the mid-2000s. By his own admission, he does not bat as aggressively as he did in the 90s and early 2000s, because his body has undergone changes and cannot sustain aggressive shotmaking over a long period. He is often praised for his ability to adapt to the needs of his body and yet keep scoring consistently.
While Tendulkar is not a regular bowler, he can bowl medium pace, leg spin, and off spin. He often bowls when two batsmen of the opposite team have been batting together for a long period, as he can often be a useful partnership breaker. With his bowling, he has helped secure an Indian victory on more than one occasion.[118] He has taken 44 test match wickets and is the tenth highest wicket taker for India in ODIs.[119]
Indian Premier League and Champions League
Tendulkar was made the icon player and captain for his home side, the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition in 2008.[107] As an icon player, he was signed for a sum of US$1,121,250, 15% more than the second-highest paid player in the team, Sanath Jayasuriya.[108]
In 2010 edition of Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians reached the
final of the tournament. Tendulkar made 618 runs in 14 innings during
the tournament, breaking Shaun Marsh's
record of most runs in an IPL season. He was declared player of the
tournament for his performance during the season. He also won Best
Batsman and Best Captain awards at 2010 IPL Awards ceremony.
Sachin Tendulkar captained Mumbai Indians in 4 league matches of
second edition of the league. He scored 68 in the first match and 48
against Guyana. But Mumbai Indians failed to qualify for semifinals
after losing the initial two matches. Tendulkar scored 135 runs.[109]
In the 2011 IPL, against Kochi Tuskers Kerala,
Tendulkar scored his maiden Twenty20 hundred. He scored 100 not out off
66 balls. In 51 matches in the IPL Tendulkar has scored 1,723 runs,
making him the second-highest run-scorer in the competition's history.[110]
100th international century
Tendulkar scored his much awaited 100th international hundred on 16 March 2012, at Mirpur against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup.[104]
He became the first person in history to achieve this feat.
Incidentally, it was Tendulkar's first ODI hundred against Bangladesh.
He said "It's been a tough phase for me ... I was not thinking about the
milestone, the media started all this, wherever I went, the restaurant,
room service, everyone was talking about the 100th hundred. Nobody
talked about my 99 hundreds. It became mentally tough for me because
nobody talked about my 99 hundreds."[105] Despite Tendulkar's century, India failed to win the match against Bangladesh, losing by 5 wickets.[106]
2011 World Cup and after
From February to April, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka hosted the 2011 World Cup.
Amassing 482 runs at an average of 53.55 including two centuries,
Tendulkar was India's lead run-scorer for the tournament; only Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka scored more runs in the 2011 tournament.[95] India defeated Sri Lanka in the final.[96]
Shortly after the victory, Tendulkar commented that "Winning the World
Cup is the proudest moment of my life. ... I couldn't control my tears
of joy."[97]
India were due to tour the West Indies in June, although Tendulkar
chose not to participate. He returned to the squad in July for India's tour of England.[98][99][100]
The injury Tendulkar sustained to his right foot in 2001 flared up and
as a result he was ruled out of the ODI series that followed.[99]
Tendulkar created another record on 8 November 2011 when he became the
first cricketer to score 15,000 runs in Test cricket, during the opening
Test match against the West Indies at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in
New Delhi.[101][102]
Throughout the tour there was much hype in the media about whether
Tendulkar would reach his 100th century in international cricket (Test
and ODIs combined). However his highest score in the Tests was 91;
Tendulkar averaged 34.12 in the series as England won 4–0 as they
deposed India as the No. 1 ranked Test side.
Ian Chappell
was not happy with Sachin's performance after India's tour of
Australia. He says that Sachin’s quest for his 100th hundred has proved
to be a hurdle for the entire team and has hampered their performance on
the Tour of Australia. Former India World Cup winning captain and
all-rounder Kapil Dev has also voiced his opinion that Sachin should
have retired from ODI’s after the World Cup. Former Australian fast
bowler, Geoff Lawson, has said that Sachin has the right to decide when
to quit although he adds that Tendulkar should not delay it for too
long.[103]
2009–2010
In early 2009, India revisited Sri Lanka for five ODIs, as the
Pakistan series had been cancelled due to the security situation in
Pakistan and the attacks in Mumbai. Tendulkar failed to reach double
figures in any inning, before becoming injured.
India's next assignment was an away series against New Zealand,
consisting of three Tests and five ODIs. In the ODI series, Tendulkar
made a 163 not out in the third match, an innings ended by stomach
cramps that forced him to retire hurt. India made 392 and won easily and
won the series 3–1. Tendulkar made 160 in the first test, his 42nd Test
century, and India won. He made 49 and 64 in the second test and 62 and
9 in the third, in which India were prevented from winning by rain on
the last day. India won the series 1–0.
Tendulkar rested himself for the ODI tour of West Indies, but was
back for the Compaq Cup (Tri Series) between India, SL and New Zealand
in early September 2009. He made 46 and 27 in the league matches before
notching up 138 in the final, as India made 319 and won by 46 runs. This
was Tendulkar's 6th century in ODI finals and his third consecutive
score of over 50 in such finals. India has won all six times that
Tendulkar has made a hundred in an ODI final.
Tendulkar played just one innings in the ICC Champions trophy in
South Africa, scoring 8 against Pakistan as India lost. The next match
against Australia was washed out and he was out with food poisoning in
the third match against the West Indies, as India were eliminated.
Australia returned for a seven-match ODI series in India in October,
and Tendulkar made 14, 4, 32 and 40 in the first four games. In the
fifth match, with the series tied at 2–2, Australia amassed 350/4 in 50
overs. Tendulkar made his 45th ODI hundred, a 175 off 141 balls. Just
when it seemed that he would steer India to the large victory target, he
paddle-scooped debutant bowler Clint McKay
straight to short fine leg, with India needing 19 from 18 balls with
four wickets left. The Indian tail collapsed, and they lost by 3 runs,
being all out for 347. During this match, Tendulkar also became the
first player to reach 17,000 ODI runs, and achieved his personal best
against Australia, as well as the third highest score in a defeat.
In the ODIs against Sri Lanka in 2009–10, Tendulkar scored 69, 43, 96
not out and 8, as India won 3–1.In the Test Series, he scored a 100 no
out in the first test, which was drawn, and 40 in the second and 53 in
the third test as India clinched innings victory in both tests. India
won the series 2–0.[93]
Sachin rested himself for the ODI tri-series in Bangladesh in 2010.
In the Tests against Bangladesh, he made 105 not out and 16 in the first
test, and 143 in the second. India won 2–0.
In the 2-Test Series against South Africa,
Tendulkar made seven and 100 in the first test and 106 in the first
innings of the second test. In the course of the second 100 (his 47th
Test Hundred) he achieved several landmarks, in that he had scored four
hundreds in his last four matches and that the hundred against South
Africa in the first Test was the first at home against South Africa. The
century was also his hundredth score over 50 in International Test
cricket, moving him to 92 international hundreds (Tests and ODIs
combined). In the second match of the subsequent ODI series, Tendulkar
scored 200 not out to become the world's first person to score a double
century in ODI cricket.[94]
ODI and Test Series against England
Tendulkar was again out due to injury from the first three ODIs of a
7-match ODI series at home against England, but he made 11 in the fourth
ODI and 50 in the fifth, before the ODI series was called off due to
the Mumbai terror attacks, the scoreline being 5–0 to India.
England returned for a 2-match test series in December 2008, and in
the first test in Chennai, chasing 387 for victory, Tendulkar made 103
not out in a 163-run unbroken fifth wicket stand with Yuvraj Singh. This
was his third century in a fourth match innings, and the first which
resulted in a win. This was redemption for the Chennai Test of 1999 when
chasing 271 against Pakistan, Sachin had made 136 with severe back pain
and was out 17 runs short of the target, precipitating a collapse and a
loss by 12 runs. He dedicated this century to the victims of the Mumbai
terror attacks. Tendulkar failed in both innings in the second test,
India won the series 1–0.
Return to form and breaking the record
In the following ODI series against Sri Lanka, Tendulkar was sidelined
due to injury. However, during the following Australia tour of India, he
returned to fitness and form, scoring 13 and 49 in the first test
before making 88 in the first innings of the second test, thus breaking
the record for most number of Test runs held by Brian Lara. He also
reached the 12,000 run mark when he was on 61. He made a fifty in the
third test and 109 in the fourth, as India won the series 2–0 and
regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Sri Lanka Series
Before the touring Sri Lanka for three Test
in July 2008, Tendulkar needed just 177 runs to go past Brian Lara's
record of Test 11,953 runs. However, he failed in all six innings,
scoring a total of just 95 runs. India lost the series and his average
of 15.83 was his worst in a Test series with at least three matches
Home series against South Africa
South Africa toured in March and April 2008 for a three-Test series. Tendulkar scored a five-ball duck in his only innings of the series;[90]
he sustained a groin strain in the match and as a result was forced not
only to miss the second and third Tests, but also the tri-series
involving Bangladesh, the 2008 Asia Cup, and the first half of the inaugural season of the IPL.[91]
