SACHIN TENDULKAR

SACHIN TENDULKAR

Sachin Tendulkar was born April 24, 1973, in Bombay, India. Introduced to cricket at age 11, Tendulkar was just 16 when he became India's youngest Test cricketer. In 2005, he became the first cricketer to score 35 centuries (100 runs in a single inning) in Test play. In 2008, he reached another major milestone by surpassing Brian Lara's mark of 11,953 Test runs. Tendulkar took home the World Cup with his team in 2011, and wrapped up his record-breaking career in 2013.

Wasting little time living up to the lofty expectations, the 15-year-old Tendulkar scored a century in his domestic first-class debut for Bombay in December 1988, making him the youngest player to do so. Eleven months later, he made his international debut for India against Pakistan, where he famously declined medical assistance despite getting hit in the face by Waqar Younis.

In August 1990, the 17-year-old delivered a match-saving 119 not out against England to become the second-youngest player to record a century in Test play. Other celebrated early highlights included a pair of centuries in Australia in 1992, one of them coming at the blindingly fast WACA track in Perth. Underscoring his rapid rise to the top of his sport, Tendulkar in 1992 became the first international player to sign with England's storied Yorkshire club.