Ajinkya Rahane has picked Sachin Tendulkar as India’s greatest-ever cricketer shortly after announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket. The former India captain made the choice during an episode of Stick to Cricket, according to a Times of India report.
Rahane acknowledged the difficulty of comparing leading players from different periods before selecting Tendulkar. “I think it’s very hard to take one name but… probably Sachin Tendulkar. I think all the eras,” Rahane said.
Tendulkar’s record across formats
Sachin Tendulkar represented India for 24 years, from November 15, 1989, to November 16, 2013, and finished his international career with the highest run totals in Test and ODI cricket.
| Format | Matches | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Tests | 200 | 15,921 |
| ODIs | 463 | 18,426 |
| T20Is | 1 | 10 |
Tendulkar played 664 international matches in total. The former India batter remains the only player to have appeared in 200 Tests and holds the record for the most ODI appearances.
Tendulkar was part of India’s 2011 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup-winning squad. As India captain, Tendulkar led the team in 25 Tests and 73 ODIs.
Rahane’s playing connection with Tendulkar
Rahane shared teams with Tendulkar at international, domestic and IPL level, including one Test for India and the 2009 IPL season with Mumbai Indians.
Supplemental editorial cricket visual for Rahane names Tendulkar India's greatest cricketer ever.
The two Mumbai batters also played domestic cricket together. Rahane later spent most of his international career playing under MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
Rahane’s India and IPL career
Rahane represented India in all three formats between 2011 and 2023 after making his international debut in a T20I against England in Manchester on August 31, 2011.
Rahane was part of India’s 2018-19 Test series-winning squad in Australia and captained India to another series victory there in 2020-21. Rahane also became one of the Indian cricketers to captain the national side in all three formats.
Rahane finished his career with Test centuries in Australia, England and New Zealand. His IPL career included spells with Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Rising Pune Supergiants, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings.
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