Sachin Tendulkar, often referred to as the ‘God of Cricket,’ celebrated his 50th birthday on April 24th, with wishes pouring in from the cricketing community.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the modern era of the game, Tendulkar holds the record for the most runs and centuries scored in international cricket.
His 24-year-long career is a testament to his incredible longevity and fitness. In addition to his records, he has inspired many current and former cricketers, including Virat Kohli, M.S. Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, and Yuvraj Singh. In 2011, he finally achieved his lifelong dream of winning the World Cup.
Tendulkar is also considered an IPL legend, having played for the Mumbai Indians (MI) for six seasons. In 2010, he won the Orange Cap and led his team to the final as captain. He finally won the IPL title in his final season in 2013.
Here, we look at the top 3 innings of Sachin in IPL:
1) 100* runs off 66 balls, MI vs KTK, IPL 2011
In a match against the now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Tendulkar (100 runs off 66 balls) scored an unbeaten century to help MI reach 182/2 in their 20 overs. The ‘Master Blaster’ hit 12 fours and three sixes in his memorable innings.
Despite Tendulkar’s efforts, Kochi Tuskers Kerala were able to chase down the target with ease, winning by eight wickets thanks to half-centuries from Mahela Jayawardene and Brendon McCullum.
2) 89* runs off 59 balls, MI vs RR, IPL 2010
After batting first in Jaipur, MI reached 174/5 at the end of 20 overs thanks to another masterclass performance from the ‘Little Master.’
Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 89* runs off just 59 balls, hitting 10 fours and 2 sixes at a strike rate of 150.84. In response, RR could only manage 137/8 in their 20 overs, giving MI a comfortable 37-run victory.
3) 72 runs off 52 balls, MI vs CSK, IPL 2010
In pursuit of a challenging total of 181, Sachin Tendulkar (72 runs off 52 balls) led MI’s charge against their arch-rivals CSK with a superb half-century.
The MI captain hit eight fours and a six as he perfectly anchored his team’s chase. He was well-supported by a young Shikhar Dhawan, who scored a quick-fire half-century. MI reached the target with an over and five wickets to spare.
