The most renowned name in cricket history, Sachin Tendulkar is beyond just a man with a bat, a name or even a cricketer. He symbolizes a legacy far beyond the game. For 24 years, starting at the tender age of 16, Sachin symbolized the hopes and dreams of the biggest sporting fanbase on the planet, carrying the expectations of over a billion people.
In doing so, he realized a career that would stand the test of time in cricketing and sporting annals. Time stopped whenever Tendulkar picked up a bat. From the records to the memorable innings all over the world, there is no touchpoint in cricket where the iconic Indian #10 has not impacted. Throughout his career, Sachin made himself the global face of cricket with his fame and aura transcending the sport.
FACTFILE Full Name Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar Date of Birth 24 April 1973 Birthplace Mumbai Nickname Sachin, SRT, Master Blaster, Little Master Height 5’ 5” (165 cm) Weight 62 kg Occupation Cricketer, Entrepreneur Teams Represented India, Bombay (now Mumbai), Yorkshire, Mumbai Indians, Asia XI, MCC, India Legends, MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club), Sachin Legends Honours Arjuna Award – 1994 Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award – 1997-98Padma Shri – 1999 Padma Vibhushan – 2008Bharat Ratna – 2014 (India’s Highest Civilian Honour) Honorary Member of the Order of Australia – 2012 (only cricketer other than Brian Lara to be conferred) Net Worth ₹1,350 crore (US$165 million) Earnings/year ₹50 crore (US$6 million) Spouse Anjali Mehta (m.1995) Children Arjun, Sara
And, Sachin, who was the start of the modern athlete, made good on his promise, not just as a special cricketer, but also a brand and entrepreneurial magnate. Tendulkar’s on-field heroics and his simple, guy-next-door personality endeared him to the nation. That brought in the financial windfall and commercial successes that have followed Sachin throughout his career. His associations of the field with the top brands and entrepreneurial ventures made him the first global cricket icon and also the richest cricketer in the world, even after a decade since retiring from cricket.
Today, we will take a look at the Master’s journey and successes on and more importantly, off the field.
SACHIN TENDULKAR: CAREER IN NUMBERS
Sachin’s career numbers remain virtually unchallenged and put him on a pedestal of his own.The man from Mumbai has a league of records that makes him peerless as a batsman. The highest run-scorer in both the ODI and Test formats, his numbers look unlikely to be broken for many more years. Format Matches Innings Runs Average 50s 100s Highest Wickets BBI Test 200 329 15,921 53.79 68 51 248* 46 3/10 ODI 463 452 18,426 44.83 96 49 200* 154 5/32 IPL 78 78 2,334 33.83 13 1 100* 1 1/12 FC 310 490 25,396 57.84 116 81 248* 71 3/10 List A 551 538 21,999 45.54 114 60 200* 201 5/32
The unmatched legacy of India’s #10 came from his prodigious talents and an obsessive love for the gentleman’s game. Runs flowed off his bat, records tumbled everytime he took to the field and through it all, Sachin continued to remain at the top of his game, dealing with a billion dreams with a smile every time.
UNENDING RECORDS
- Most runs in ODI World Cups (2,278)
- Most international appearances (663)
- First batsman to score 12000, 13000, 14000, 15000 runs in Test cricket
- First and only man to score 100 international hundreds
- Most runs in international cricket (34,347)
- Most runs in ODIs in a calendar year (1,894)
- First men’s cricketer to score 200 in an ODI
… and many more.
Sachin’s excellence in the game meant all the eyeballs were marked out for him. That meant brands could capitalize having the Master Blaster on their brand’s front; and Sachin too capitalized, making smart moves that elevated his profile off the pitch as well as his net worth.
THE MASTER MONEY-MAKER
While Sachin remained adamant on making cricket his sole focus. His adoration and the media attention made him a household name, which meant more avenues to increase his commercial appeal and revenue. As a result, Sachin has amassed a net worth of ₹1,250 crore (US$150 million) making him the richest cricketer in the world at present.
“My family never bothered about money. All that meant to them was ‘How many runs did you score? Did you win the match or not?’ That’s all that was on their mind and that was the best part about my life. Nobody in my family chased money.”
Sachin Tendulkar, on Breakfast with Champions
Over the years, the iconic #10 adorned the ad boards of numerous brands. He continues to do so and in return, gets paid the big bucks. While he might not be earning the same as the current cricketers, with Sachin having retired a decade ago, he still earns around ₹50 crore from his various endorsements and investments.
MARKETING FRONTRUNNER: SACHIN’S ENDORSEMENT PORTFOLIO
Even though he was a teenager, Sachin’s level head on his shoulders made him the face of a new India and made him the first Indian athlete to sign a commercial contract for advertisements, in 1995. And since then, Sachin’s endorsement value has never diminished. Currently it is reported that Sachin makes around ₹20-22 crore per year from his vast array of endorsements while charging around ₹7-8 crore/endorsement deal.
Some of the major brands that he endorses include:
- Adidas
- Apollo Tyres
- Luminous
- Reynolds (now Rorito)
- Spinny
- Boost
- Mutual Funds Corporation
- Airtel
- Castrol India
- Bajaj
- Unacademy
There are many more brands that Sachin used to endorse including MRF whose brand stickers on his bat gave him instant recognition and became a key part of his persona among the public.
INVESTMENTS & PERSONAL VENTURES
In his career, Sachin has also capitalized on his gains financially and socially, with the Little Master investing in various successful businesses and companies.
Sachin has invested in various sectors including technology, lifestyle, entertainment and sports among others.
- The master batsman invested in a technology startup named Smartron India, which specializes in creating futuristic tech products like smart infrastructure, EVs and renewable energy services (including mobile phones) powered by AI and IoT (Internet of Things). Sachin came onboard as an investor in 2016 and over the years, his presence has helped drive the brand many steps up. The company recently raised an investment of $200 million and is valued at over a billion dollars.
- Sachin also started his own fashion label, named True Blue, which bears his love for cricket and the Indian team in its name.
- Sachin invested in two restaurants, aptly named Sachin’s and Tendulkar’s, in his hometown Mumbai and Bengaluru. He could stand to see a growth of more than 70% from his investments in his restaurants.
- Sachin is also an investor in Smaaash Entertainment, a sports-based entertainment company based out of Mumbai. Smaaash Entertainment offers plenty of arcade and sports-themed offerings and is currently valued around $100 million.
- Another popular investment of Sachin is Spinny, a company that deals with pre-owned car reselling and used car retail. The veteran cricketer became a strategic investor and brand endorser in 2021 and has since featured in several adverts for the company. The company has also flourished and is currently a unicorn company, with a valuation of more than US$1.6 billion.
SPORTS INVESTMENTS
Sachin’s well-known investments though are in the sporting scene with his most popular investment being a co-owner in the Indian Super League football club Kerala Blasters FC in 2014. The club finds its name after the affectionate nickname (Master Blaster) given to their co-owner.
The most followed club in India, Kerala have endured a mixed history in the league but they are renowned for their incredibly passionate & loud fanbase and the vibrant, full-house crowd that’s present in every home game, making it one of the best sporting atmospheres in Indian sport.
Tamil Thalaivas: He also has a stake in the Tamil Thalaivas franchise that competes in the Pro Kabaddi League. The Thalaivas are owned by the same parent company that also co-owns the aforementioned Blasters and as a result, the franchise acts as an extended arm of their and Sachin’s sporting investment.
Bengaluru Raptors: Sachin also owns the Pro Badminton League team Bengaluru Raptors. The 51-year-old purchased the team in 2016 and renamed the team from Bengaluru Top Guns to Bengaluru Blasters before being renamed once again to Bengaluru Raptors in 2018. The team won two PBL titles under his ownership in 2018-19 and 2020.
HOUSES & CARS
The greatest player in the history of cricket, Sachin’s big earnings means that he also appreciates the finer things in life. He has put his money into several properties across India and abroad and currently resides in a posh, three-story, 6,000 sq. ft. residence in Bandra, Mumbai where he resides with his family.
Sachin reportedly purchased the house for nearly ₹40 crore with the current valuation of the house standing at nearly double that amount. He also purchased a luxurious apartment in Rustomjee Seasons in Mumbai worth more than ₹6 crore as well as many other properties across Mumbai and India. Sachin is also reported to have bought a house in London.
Another key component of Sachin’s novelty purchases includes his envious collection of cars. The veteran batsman is known for his liking and rich taste in cars and he does have quite the collection. Tendulkar’s array of four wheelers reflect his taste for speed and luxury and also indicate his style statement.
He is the brand ambassador for BMW in India and consequently, the Little Master has some of the most luxurious BMWs parked in his garage. A range of cars that the Little Master possesses of the German luxury car brand includes:
- BMW i8 – ₹2.62 crore
- BMW 760 Li – ₹2.2-2.4 crore
- BMW M6 Gran Coupé – ₹2.16 crore
- BMW M5 Jahre – ₹1.8 crore
- BMW X5 M50d – ₹97 lakh
Apart from the BMW collection, Sachin also has a bunch of other cars that include:
- Porsche 911 Turbo S – ₹3.35 crore
- Nissan GT-R – ₹2-2.15 crore
- Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG – ₹1.41 crore
- Volvo S80 – ₹45 lakh
- Ferrari 360 Modena
Sachin also has a blue Maruti-800 and a Fiat Palio S10 which showcases how he likes to remember his humble beginnings.
FAMILY AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Sachin married Anjali Mehta, a doctor, in 1995 and the couple have two children, Sara and Arjun Tendulkar.
Like his father, Arjun turned to cricket at a young age and has become a fast bowler. Interestingly, his father’s dream was also to be a fast bowler. But when he turned up to the MRF Pace Academy, he was deemed to be physically lacking to become an ace fast bowler (perhaps why he took a particular liking to smashing pacers).
Sachin also has a substantial following across social media channels with over 48 million followers on Instagram, 40 million followers on Twitter and over 38 million followers on Facebook.
Making good on his popularity and fan following, Sachin runs 100mb, an app created for his dearest fans to get closer to the Mumbai maestro. Sachin regularly posts tidbits from his journey, interactions (1-on-1’s and ask-me-anything sessions) with fans, historic recollections of events from his career and also his thoughts on current happenings in Indian and world cricket on the app and also across his social media channels.
SACHIN’s GLOBAL POPULARITY
Sachin’s superhuman feats on the cricket field and his modest personality endeared him to every Indian household. As a result, the master batsman became one of the most popular figures in Indian culture enduring a larger-than-life presence in many parts of India.
One of the most iconic moments associated with Sachin came in 2002. After breaking Sir Donald Bradman’s record of 29 test centuries, Sachin was invited to the paddock of Ferrari, arguably the most iconic automobile brand of all time, at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone. Sachin was gifted a sparkling Ferrari 360 Modena (mentioned above) to commemorate his feat by the legendary Michael Schumacher, who was the reigning World F1 Champion.
In 2013, India Post released a commemorative stamp in Sachin’s name after the Little Master played his record-breaking 200th test match. He became only the second Indian after Mother Teresa to receive an honorary stamp during their lifetime.
In 2017, Sachin’s life and illustrious career was brought to the big screen in “Sachin: A Billion Dreams”, a docu-movie which recounted moments from Tendulkar’s career through interviews with fellow cricketers and peers and the man himself, leaving fans and movie lovers in a trap of nostalgia.
In 2020, Sachin was conferred the Laureus World Sports Award for Best Sporting Moment for his final hurrah in the World Cup when he lifted it in his home turf, the Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai, in 2011, putting an end to a 22-year-long wait to win cricket’s greatest prize.
The master has received many other honours including having his name added to a stand in his home ground, the Wankhede Stadium in 2001, and the West Stand of the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, in 2023.
The most inextricable component of Indian cricket, Sachin will always live on in the minds and hearts of his doting fans who always held hope, no matter how writhing the situation, that their magic man can turn things around.
Beyond all the numbers and memorable moments, the most iconic and impactful effect left by Sachin would always be the bellowing cries of “Sachiiin… Sachin” that reverberated across arenas whenever the maestro was in the middle. We know you tried saying that in the same enchanting way as billions did throughout Sachin’s career, as did we.
