Let’s take a look at 24 unknown facts about the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar in our two part series.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar has achieved virtually everything that one could hope to achieve from the Gentleman’s game – love of millions of fans, trophies, and the admiration of the entire world. India’s master blaster has never buckled in a quarter of a century of fulfilling the dreams of a billion expectant Indians who stalled their lives to watch him bat – some of the emotional ones with their hands folded in prayer, the rest with bated breath as their hero took on some of the best bowling attacks in the world. Because Sachin shouldered the burden of the nation for 24 years, we at SPORTZWIKI, decided to dig in and unearth some of the most fascinating unknown facts about the son of the soil.
1. Sachin Tendulkar is the first active Indian cricketer to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
2. As an aspiring fast bowler(yes, you read that right!) a 14-year old Sachin Tendulkar had to face rejection from Dennis Lillee’s MRF Pace Foundation in 1987.
3. During the 1987 world cup, Sachin was a ball boy for the match between India and Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium. 24 years later, he lifted the World Cup for India at the very same venue.
4. Sachin Tendulkar was asked to field for our arch-enemies Pakistan as a substitute during an ODI practice match against India at the Brabourne Stadium in 1988.
5. Sachin’s coach Ramakant Achrekar would gift him a coin if he could get through an entire practice session without being dismissed. Sachin has 13 such coins!
6. In October 1995, Sachin became the richest cricketer in the world when he signed a bumper five-year deal worth Rs 31.5 crore with World Tel.
7. Sachin Tendulkar was so passionate about the game that he used to sleep with his cricket gear during his junior days.
8. Sachin’s first car was a Maruti-800.
9. Sachin Tendulkar was the first ever batsman to be given out by the third-umpire. In 1992, on the second day of the Durban Test, a Jonty Rhodes throw caught Tendulkar short of the crease.
10. The first advertisement in which Sachin featured was for a sticking plaster.
11. The first brand that Sachin endorsed was the health drink company ‘Boost.’ Remember the master blaster saying ‘ Boost is teh secret of our energy’?
12. In his first test match, English pacer Alan Mullally complained that Sachin Tendulkar was batting with a bat broader than the normal willow.
