On this day in 2013: Sachin Tendulkar bid adieu to international cricket

New Delhi: It was on November 16, 2013, that Sachin Tendulkar, popularly known as the ‘Master Blaster’, bid adieu to international cricket.

Tendulkar’s career spanned over two decades. He retired from all forms of cricket after his 200th Test match against the West Indies at his home ground in Mumbai.

In his last Test, Tendulkar scored 74 runs. He was sent back to the pavilion by spinner Narsingh Deonarine who had him caught at the hands of Daren Sammy.

However, when Sammy took the catch, he was distraught and did not even celebrate as it was Tendulkar’s last innings in international cricket.

After the match, Tendulkar gave a speech at the Wankhede which made cricketing fans all over the globe a little teary-eyed.

“Time has flown by quickly, but the memories you have left with me, will always be with me forever and ever and especially the chant of ‘Sachin Sachin’ which will reverberate in my ears till I stop breathing,” Tendulkar had said.

Last year, Tendulkar had become the sixth Indian to be inducted in the ICC Hall of Fame. The 46-year-old had made his debut for India at the age of 16 in 1989.

He aggregated 34,357 runs across formats, which is 6,000 runs more than the second-placed former Sri Lanka cricketer Kumar Sangakkara. Regarded as one of the greatest batsmen ever,

Tendulkar holds the record of being the highest run-scorer of all time in international cricket, having notched up 18,426 runs in ODIs and 15,921 runs in Test matches.

At the age of 37, Tendulkar played his final World Cup. The Men in Blue defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets at home in the finals of the 2011 edition. This made Tendulkar a member of the World Cup-winning team for the first time.

He was India’s leading run-scorer and second overall in the tournament. He had retired from the 50-over format in 2012.

Tendulkar has also served as a mentor to the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL).