Born in Mumbai (previously called Bombay) into a middle class family, he played his first international match when he was 16, against Pakistan in Karachi facing up to the likes of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. In one-day cricket (ODI) he holds several records including most runs, over 12000, and the greatest number of hundreds, 36 and counting. To go with this he has more than eight thousand runs in Test cricket and 31 hundreds, at an average of almost 58, above the 50 that distinguishes a batsman as one of the game's greats. He is also a bowler of variety and is known for breaking parterships when called on to bowl. He has more than a hundred wickets in ODIs and 28 in tests. He continues to perform well under the massive weight of expectation of hundreds of millions of cricket followers, in India and around the world, and most recently was named Player Of The Tournament in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

Some of his more famous efforts in test cricket are:

• 114 against Australia at Perth in 1991-92
• 179 against the West Indies at Nagpur in 1994-95
• 169 against South Africa at Cape Town in 1996-97
• 155 against Australia at Chennai in 1997-98
• 136 agaist Pakistan in Chennai in 1998-99
• 155 against South Africa in Bloemfontein in 2001-02
• 193 against England at Leeds in 2002.

Sachin's batting in ODIss really took off after he was invited to open the innings at Napier against New Zealand in 1994. His first hundred came later that year against Australia in Colombo. Since then, Tendulkar has scored at least one century in each full series he has played.

Some of his more memorable innings have been

• 90 against Australia in the 1996 World Cup in Mumbai
• 104 against Zimbabwe at Benoni in 1997
• back to back innings of 143 and 134 against Australia in Sharjah in 1998
• 98 versus Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup at Centurion, South Africa.

His contribution to the game and his role in attracting a following to the game goes beyond his record. His game is characterized by style, aggression and often dazzling brilliance.

Sachin's fame in his own country is such that he is virtually a prisoner in his own home with his appearances in public causing near-riots amongst fevered fans. He reportedly takes his car for late-night drives around the city as one of the few chances to escape the protective bubble he is forced to exist within.