Sachin Tendulkar recreates iconic childhood picture on int'l debut anniversary

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Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar marked the 37th anniversary of his international debut in a unique style, recreating a famous childhood photograph holding his very first cricket bat.

On this day in 1989, a 16-year-old Tendulkar (16 years and 205 days) stepped onto the international stage against Pakistan in Karachi. While he long held the record as India’s youngest debutant, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi surpassed the milestone by making his T20I debut in England earlier this year at 15 years and 99 days old.

For millions of supporters, one enduring picture defines his early years: a young prodigy with flowing locks holding a bat in a classic stance, symbolising his legendary path from local grounds to global stardom. Decades later, at 53 years of age, Tendulkar recreated that legendary pose while clutching the same bat from his youth.

Sharing the moment with his followers, he wrote in the caption, “Pehle bat ki baat hai, 49 saal baad bhi mere saath hai!” (The first thing is that even after 49 years, it’s still with me!)

The legacy of the Master Blaster

Widely regarded as the most complete and prolific batsman in cricket history, Tendulkar rewrote the record books throughout an extraordinary career. Remarkably, the ‘Master Blaster’ did not score his maiden ODI hundred until his 79th appearance before evolving into the format’s premier opener.

He accumulated a staggering 34,357 international runs, holding the records for most centuries in both Tests and ODIs. In red-ball cricket, Tendulkar made a record 200 Test appearances, amassing 15,921 runs, 51 hundreds, and 2,058 boundaries. He also remains the fastest player to reach 15,000 Test runs, achieving the feat in just 300 innings.

Across 463 ODI matches, he contributed 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83, featuring 49 centuries and 96 fifties. A vital member of India’s 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and 2002 ICC Champions Trophy-winning squads, Tendulkar also stands as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 2,278 runs across 45 World Cup matches, including six centuries and 15 half-centuries.

Interestingly, Tendulkar’s debut match and his last match came on the same day as he retired on November 15th at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

(With inputs from ANI)

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