Sachin went to Sharadashram Vidyamandir High School where he began his cricketing career under the guidance of his coach and mentor, Ramakant Achrekar. It was during his school days that he attended the MRF Pace Foundation to train as a fast bowler but

During his younger days, Tendulkar would practice for hours in the nets. When he got exhausted, Achrekar would put a one-rupee-coin on the top of the stump and the bowler who dismissed Sachin would win the coin. If Tendulkar passed the whole session

It was in 1988 where his extraordinary career began with Tendulkar scoring a century in every innings he played. He shared a record 664-run stand in the Harris Shield inter-school game with friend and teammate Vinod Kambli. Tendulkar scored 326 not out

On December 11, 1988, at the age of 15, Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 100 in his debut first-class match for Mumbai against Gujarat, making him the youngest Indian to score a century in this category. Sachin was picked by the then-Mumbai captain Dilip

Tendulkar finished the season as Mumbai's highest run-scorer, scoring an unbeaten century in the Irani Trophy final. Good performances earned him a spot in the national squad for the 1989 tour of Pakistan after just one first-class season. He is the

In 1989 and aged 16, Tendulkar played his first Test match for India against Pakistan in Karachi. Although he scored only 15 runs, Sachin was praised for his handling of the Pakistani pace attack. In the Sialkot Test, he was hit on the nose by a bouncer

In a 20-over exhibition game held in Peshawar, Tendulkar's scored 53 runs off 18 balls, including an over in which he scored 28 runs off the Pakistani bowler Abdul Qadir. The then-Indian captain Kris Srikkanth went on to praise the knock saying it was

In 1990, history was made as Sachin became the second youngest cricketer in the history of Test cricket to score a Test century as he made 119 not out at Old Trafford against England. The famous sports reference book, Wisden, paid tribute to Sachin

Then followed his 1991-1992 tour of Australia where he was the standout amongst the other Indian batsmen including his innings of 114 on a fast, bouncing Perth wicket. He was later lauded for his performance by both sides

Sachin however made a forgettable debut in the ODI format. On debut, Sachin was out for a duck and it continued in the second game. His first runs off the bat came against New Zealand in 1990 where he scored 36

It took Sachin 79 ODIs for his first hundred and it came on September 9, 1994 when he scored a vital 110 against Australia. Sachin won the Man of the Match award for his valuable contribution to the team

In 1996, he shared a record partnership with Navjot Sidhu and also helped India record their first ever score over 300 as India won against their rivals Pakistan in Sharjah. In the Wills World Cup in the subcontinent, Sachin was the top scorer in the

In the same year, Sachin was handed over the reigns of captaincy from Mohammed Azharuddin but it did not work well for the team. India struggled under Sachin's leadership as they went on to lose series against Australia and South Africa. Sachin finally

In the 1998 ICC trophy, Sachin single-handedly took India to the forefront as he contributed with both bat and ball. In the same year at Sharjah, Sachin garnered back-to-back centuries against Australians that made Sir Donald Bradman famously compare

Sachin scored the first double hundred of his Test career in 1999 against New Zealand at Ahmedabad as he blazed to 217. In the same year, during the ICC World Cup in England, Sachin scored a memorable 140 not out, against Kenya which is still regarded

Injuries and bad form did hamper Sachin's illustrious career. Calls of retirement were heard and as he entered his late 30s and questions were asked about his commitment towards the Indian side. Apart from his 2003 World Cup exploits, doubts were raised

Sachin became the first player to score 10,000 runs in one-day internationals as well as first to reach the 14,000 runs feat in test cricket history. On February 24, 2010, history was made when Sachin scored the first double hundred in a one day

Another feather in Sachin's cap came on January 2, 2011 when he became the first player to score 50 Test centuries. Tendulkar's achievements have earned him several sobriquets like 'Little Master', 'Master Blaster', 'Tendlya' and so on

The one record which has eluded him from the record cabinet, is a World Cup trophy. Critics and fans alike have gone ahead and said the 2011 World Cup could be Sachin's last.We hope and pray that Sachin does play his best and win the trophy not just for