Key facts
- Known for: Cricketer (batter)
- Born: 24 April 1973, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra
- Age: 53 years (as of 8 November 2026)
- Spouse: Anjali Tendulkar (m. 1995)
Childhood and Shivaji Park
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was born on 24 April 1973 in Bombay, now Mumbai. As a boy he was known for being energetic and sometimes mischievous, and his elder brother Ajit is widely credited with channelling that energy into cricket. In 1984 Ajit took him to Ramakant Achrekar, a coach at Shivaji Park in Dadar who would go on to mentor several players who reached the Indian team. According to a well-known family story, Sachin played poorly at his first trial because he felt self-conscious with the coach watching; Achrekar watched again from a distance and accepted him into his academy.
Achrekar's methods were demanding: long sessions, repeated match practice and a habit of moving the boy between several games in a single day. Tendulkar moved to Shardashram Vidyamandir school, which had a strong cricket programme, and the results came quickly.
Family
Tendulkar's father, Ramesh Tendulkar, was a Marathi novelist, poet and college professor who named his son after his favourite music director, S. D. Burman; his mother, Rajni, worked in insurance. He grew up in the Sahitya Sahawas writers' colony in Bandra East as the youngest of four children. His three older half-siblings are Nitin, Ajit and Savita; Ajit, a club cricketer himself, took him to Ramakant Achrekar and remained his closest cricket adviser throughout his career.
He married Anjali Mehta, a paediatrician six years his senior, on 24 May 1995; they had first met at Mumbai airport in 1990. Their daughter, Sara, was born in 1997 and works with the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation. Their son, Arjun, born in 1999, is a left-arm fast bowler who has played domestic cricket and in the Indian Premier League; he married Saaniya Chandhok in Mumbai on 5 March 2026. The family lives in Bandra West, Mumbai.
Career milestones
- 1988
664-run school stand; first-class debut century
- 1989
Test debut in Karachi at 16
- 2010
First man to score an ODI 200
- 2011
Wins the World Cup with India
- 2012
100th international century
- 2013
Retires after 200th Test
Education
Achrekar persuaded the family to move Sachin to Sharadashram Vidyamandir in Dadar, a school with a strong cricket programme, so that he could train at Shivaji Park. His schooling was built around cricket practice, and he did not go on to a university degree; he has often said that his real education came from Achrekar's daily nets and match practice. In 1988, aged 14, he shared an unbroken 664-run partnership with his schoolmate Vinod Kambli in the Harris Shield, then a world record for any form of cricket.
A schoolboy record
In 1988, playing for Shardashram in the Harris Shield inter-school tournament, Tendulkar and his friend Vinod Kambli put on an unbroken partnership of 664 runs, a world record for any form of cricket at the time. Tendulkar's own score was over 300. Later that year, on 11 December 1988, aged 15, he made his first-class debut for Bombay against Gujarat at the Wankhede Stadium and scored an unbeaten century. He finished that season as Bombay's leading run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy.
Test debut at sixteen
Tendulkar was picked for India's tour of Pakistan in 1989. On 15 November 1989 in Karachi he made his Test debut aged 16 years and 205 days, making him India's youngest Test cricketer. He faced one of the fiercest pace attacks in the world, including Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Imran Khan. In the fourth Test he was hit on the nose by a short ball but continued batting, an episode that quickly became part of his legend.
His first Test century came against England in 1990, when he was still 17. On the 1991–92 tour of Australia he made 148 in Sydney and 114 on a fast, bouncy pitch in Perth, innings that convinced many observers that he would become a great player.
Peak years
In 1994 India began opening the batting with him in one-day internationals, and he scored his first ODI century later that year. At the 1996 World Cup he was the leading run-scorer with 523 runs. He was appointed captain in 1996, but India's results under him were disappointing and he gave up the role in 2000. Britannica notes that his win percentages as captain were low in both formats, a contrast to his success as a batter.
The late 1990s produced some of his finest innings. In 1998 he dominated Australia's leg-spinner Shane Warne in a Test series, and in Sharjah he scored back-to-back ODI centuries against Australia, including a 143 played after a sandstorm interrupted the match, before another hundred in the final. He scored 12 international centuries across formats in 1998. During the 1999 World Cup he flew home for his father's funeral and returned to score a century against Kenya, which he dedicated to his father. At the 2003 World Cup his 98 against Pakistan was a highlight, and he was named Player of the Tournament.
Injuries, records and the World Cup
The mid-2000s brought injuries, including tennis elbow, and periods of criticism. Yet in December 2005 he scored his 35th Test century, passing Sunil Gavaskar's record. He later overtook Brian Lara as the leading run-scorer in Test cricket. On 24 February 2010 in Gwalior he became the first man to score 200 runs in a one-day international, against South Africa. That year he was named the ICC Cricketer of the Year.
On 2 April 2011, India won the World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium in his home city. Tendulkar had been India's leading run-scorer in the tournament, and teammates carried him on their shoulders around the ground. He has often described the win as the greatest moment of his career.
The 100th hundred and retirement
After the World Cup he needed one more century to reach 100 in international cricket, and the wait lasted more than a year. He finally reached it on 16 March 2012 against Bangladesh in Mirpur. His totals were 51 Test centuries and 49 ODI centuries.
He retired from one-day internationals in December 2012. His last match was his 200th Test, against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in November 2013. He finished with 15,921 Test runs and 18,426 ODI runs, records in both formats, and played 664 international matches in total. His farewell speech, thanking family, coaches and fans, was broadcast live and remains one of the most-watched moments in Indian sport.
Career statistics
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | Hundreds | Fifties | Highest score | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test (1989–2013) | 200 | 15,921 | 53.78 | 51 | 68 | 248* | 46 |
| ODI (1989–2012) | 463 | 18,426 | 44.83 | 49 | 96 | 200* | 154 |
| T20I (2006) | 1 | 10 | 10.00 | 0 | 0 | 10 | — |
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Hundred on first-class debut for Bombay, aged 15 |
| 1989 | Test debut against Pakistan in Karachi, 15 November, aged 16 |
| 1990 | First Test hundred, 119* at Old Trafford, Manchester |
| 1996 | World Cup top scorer; captains India for the first time |
| 2003 | Player of the Tournament at the World Cup (673 runs) |
| 2008 | Passes Brian Lara as the leading Test run-scorer |
| 2010 | First double hundred in men's ODI cricket, 200* v South Africa in Gwalior |
| 2011 | Wins the World Cup with India in Mumbai, in his sixth World Cup |
| 2012 | 100th international hundred, v Bangladesh in Mirpur |
| 2013 | 200th and final Test, v West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium |
IPL and life after cricket
Tendulkar played for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League from 2008, captaining them in the early seasons. He was the league's leading run-scorer in 2010 and was part of the squad that won the title in 2013. After retirement he remained involved with the franchise in a mentoring role. He served as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 2012 to 2018, the first active sportsperson in that house.
What he does now (as of November 2026)
Since retiring, Tendulkar has remained involved with Mumbai Indians as a mentor and is a core-committee member of the Indian Street Premier League, a tennis-ball T10 tournament launched in 2024. Through the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation he supports children's health, education and sport. In 2025 the BCCI gave him its Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. In March 2026 his son Arjun's wedding in Mumbai was attended by many of the country's best-known cricketers and film stars.
Net worth
CareerMasti has not found a credible published estimate of Sachin Tendulkar's net worth, such as a Hurun or Forbes rich-list figure, so we do not give one. Forbes listed him among the world's highest-paid athletes during his playing career, but that measured annual earnings, not wealth.
Personal life
On 24 May 1995 Tendulkar married Anjali Mehta, a paediatrician he had first met in 1990. They have two children, Sara and Arjun; Arjun Tendulkar is also a professional cricketer.
Honours
Tendulkar received the Arjuna Award in 1994, the Khel Ratna for the 1997–98 season, the Padma Shri and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008. In 2014 he received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, becoming the first sportsperson to receive it and also its youngest recipient. He was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2019, and in 2025 the England–India Test series trophy was renamed the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy in honour of him and James Anderson.
| Year | Honour |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Arjuna Award |
| 1997 | Wisden Cricketer of the Year |
| 1998 | Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (for 1997–98) |
| 1999 | Padma Shri |
| 2008 | Padma Vibhushan |
| 2010 | ICC Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (Cricketer of the Year) |
| 2014 | Bharat Ratna, the first sportsperson to receive it |
| 2019 | Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame |
| 2020 | Laureus Sporting Moment 2000–2020 (2011 World Cup lap of honour) |
| 2025 | BCCI Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award |
Legacy
Tendulkar's career coincided with the opening of India's economy and the spread of satellite television, and he became the face of cricket for a generation. His records may eventually be challenged, but the combination of longevity, technical mastery and public grace explains why he is still widely referred to in India simply as "the Master Blaster".
Frequently asked questions
How old is Sachin Tendulkar?
Sachin Tendulkar was born on 24 April 1973, so he is 53 years old as of November 2026.
How tall is Sachin Tendulkar?
He is reported to be 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) tall, which is why he was nicknamed the Little Master.
Who is Sachin Tendulkar's wife?
Anjali Tendulkar (née Mehta), a paediatrician. They married on 24 May 1995.
How many children does Sachin Tendulkar have?
Two: his daughter Sara, born in 1997, and his son Arjun, a fast bowler born in 1999.
Who were Sachin Tendulkar's parents?
Ramesh Tendulkar, a Marathi novelist and professor, and Rajni Tendulkar, who worked in insurance.
Which school did Sachin Tendulkar go to?
Sharadashram Vidyamandir in Dadar, Mumbai, where he trained under coach Ramakant Achrekar. He did not attend university.
How many centuries did Sachin Tendulkar score?
One hundred international centuries: 51 in Test cricket and 49 in one-day internationals.
When did Sachin Tendulkar make his debut?
He made his Test debut against Pakistan in Karachi on 15 November 1989, aged 16, and his ODI debut in Gujranwala on 18 December 1989.
When did Sachin Tendulkar retire?
He retired from ODIs in December 2012 and from all cricket after his 200th Test in Mumbai in November 2013.
What is Sachin Tendulkar's net worth?
We have not found a credible published rich-list estimate, so we do not give one.
Where does Sachin Tendulkar live?
In Bandra West, Mumbai.
Did Arjun Tendulkar get married?
Yes. Arjun Tendulkar married Saaniya Chandhok in Mumbai on 5 March 2026.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Sachin Tendulkar
- Wikipedia: Sachin Tendulkar (cross-checked statistics)
- NDTV Sports: Arjun Tendulkar marries Saaniya Chandhok (March 2026)
- ESPNcricinfo: Sachin Tendulkar player profile and statistics
