Top 5 unbreakable records of Sachin Tendulkar in International cricket

India’s cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar turns 52-year-old on Thursday. Considered the greatest batter to play the game, Sachin Tendulkar captivated the fans for over 24 years before calling time on his international career in 2013 in front of his home fans in Mumbai. 

After his successful debut in India’s domestic circuit, Tendulkar was picked to make his Test debut at the age of 16. Against an attack that comprised Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, Waqar Younis, and Abdul Qadir, the young batting sensation held his own. The first Test ton from Tendulkar’s bat was scored in England at Old Trafford. 

In the two decades, Tendulkar became the best batter in the world and went on to break and create many records. The right-handed batter also became the first man to score 200 runs in an ODI innings. Tendulkar also became the first man in the history of Test cricket to score 50 centuries. 

Here are the five records set by Sachin Tendulkar that may never be broken:

5. Most man of the match awards in ODI cricket history 

Sachin Tendulkar has been named Man of the Match in ODI cricket on a whopping 62 occasions. Former Sri Lankan skipper Sanath Jayasuriya is second on the list with 48 awards, while Virat Kohli is third with 43 awards. With ODI cricket taking a backseat, one expects this record to stand the test of time. 

4. Most runs in ODI cricket 

With 18,426 runs in ODI cricket, Sachin Tendulkar leads the list for being the highest run-getter in this format. Tendulkar had played 463 ODI matches with 49 centuries and 96 fifties in this format. Virat Kohli currently has 14,181 runs from 302 ODI matches, but the former Indian skipper may find it impossible to go past his idol’s record. 

3. Most fours in international cricket 

With over 4076 fours across all formats, Sachin Tendulkar is light years ahead of other batters. In his 664 international matches, India’s batting maestro was known to be ultra-aggressive and put the pressure back on the bowlers with his batting. None of the modern-day batters are close to that record, which looks unbeatable for years to come. 

2. Most runs in international cricket 

Former Indian batting maestro, Sachin Tendulkar, has scored 34,357 runs in international cricket. This includes his 15.921 runs in Test cricket, 18.426 runs in ODI cricket and ten runs from his only T20I match for India. The next best batters are Kumar Sangakkara and Ricky Ponting, who have also retired from the game. Virat Kohli is fourth on the list with 27.589 runs, but the former India skipper could very well fall short of this record set by Tendulkar. 

1. Most Test appearances 

In his 24-year career for India from 1989-2013, Sachin Tendulkar became the first man to play 200 Test matches. This feat came when he strode onto the field against the West Indies in front of his home fans at the Wankhede Stadium. It is unlikely that any player will come close to breaking that record ever in international cricket.