It brings to an end one of the most decorated international cricketing careers the game has witnessed.
TENDULKAR FACTFILE
1973: Born 24 April, Mumbai.
1988: Scores 100 not out in his first first-class match for Bombay against Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy becoming the youngest cricketer to score a century on his first-class debut, aged 15 years and 232 days.
1989: Makes Test debut for India against Pakistan in Karachi at the age of 16.
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Playing ping pong in 1989
December: Makes ODI debut against Pakistan but is dismissed by Waqar Younis without scoring a run.
1990: Scores maiden Test century against England at Old Trafford.
1992: At the age of 19 he becomes the first overseas-born player to represent Yorkshire.
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Sachin the Yorkie
1994: 9 September - Claims his first ODI century against Sri Lanka in Colombo after 79 one-day matches.
1996: Leading run scorer at World Cup played in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka with a total of 523 runs.
August: Takes on the India captaincy although suffers two relatively unsuccessful stints during a four-year period, winning only four Tests and 23 ODIs.
Sachin Tendulkar Turns 42
(01 of14)
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The Little Master at the crease, 1989
(02 of14)
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Not auditioning for a Jackson 5 tribute band in 1989
(03 of14)
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Feb 1993: Sachin Tendulkar of India celebrates his maiden test century in his home country after victory in the Second Test match against England played in Madras
(04 of14)
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Ee bah gum. At the Oval ahead of his debut for Yorkshire in 1992.
(05 of14)
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Just missing a flock of sheep in the background...
South Africa v India 3rd Test - Day 3(06 of14)
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CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 04: Sachin Tendulkar of India celebrates his 51st Test century during day 3 of the 3rd Test match between South Africa and India at Newlands Stadium on January 04, 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Duif du Toit/Gallo Images/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar raises(07 of14)
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Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar raises his helmet in celebration after scoring a century (100 runs) during the third day of the second Test match between Sri Lanka and India at The Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on July 28, 2010. Indian veteran Tendulkar hit a defiant unbeaten 39 but Sri Lanka tightened the screws on the third day of the second cricket Test on Wednesday. India, replying to Sri Lanka's mammoth first innings score of 642-4 declared, lost the important wicket of Venkatsai Laxman in the post-lunch session to move to 243-4 by tea. AFP PHOTO/ Lakruwan WANNIARACHCHI. (Photo credit should read LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar poses(08 of14)
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Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar poses with the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy with the Gateway of India monument in the background during a photo call at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai on April 3, 2011. India won the Cricket World Cup for the first time since 1983 with a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on April 2. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo credit should read STRDEL/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
India v Sri Lanka - 2011 ICC World Cup Final(09 of14)
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MUMBAI, INDIA - APRIL 02: Sachin Tendulkar of India celebrates with the trophy after the 2011 ICC World Cup Final between India and Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium on April 2, 2011 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh lifts team(10 of14)
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Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh lifts teammate Sachin Tendulkar (R) to celebrate his century and India's win on the fifth and final day of the first Test between India and England at the M.A. Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on December 15, 2008. India won the match by 6 wickets to lead the two match series 1-0. AFP PHOTO/Indranil MUKHERJEE (Photo credit should read INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar kisses h(11 of14)
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Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar kisses his helmet after scoring his hundred century (100 runs) during the one day international (ODI) Asia Cup cricket match between India and Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on March 16, 2012. India's Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman in history to score 100 international centuries, adding another milestone in his record-breaking career. AFP PHOTO/Munir uz ZAMAN (Photo credit should read MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Indian fans celebrate as they watch cric(12 of14)
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Indian fans celebrate as they watch cricketer Sachin Tendulkar scoring his 100th century, on a television set inside a shop in Mumbai on March 16, 2012. India's Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman in history to score 100 international centuries, adding another milestone in his record-breaking career. AFP PHOTO/Punit PARANJPE (Photo credit should read PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
Indian cricket fans hold placards and po(13 of14)
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Indian cricket fans hold placards and posters as they celebrate after Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar scored his 100th century in the One Day International (ODI) Asia Cup cricket match between India and Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, in Amritsar on March 17, 2012. India's Sachin Tendulkar on March 16, became the first batsman in history to score 100 international centuries, adding another milestone in his record-breaking career. AFP PHOTO/NARINDER NANU (Photo credit should read NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
INDIA-ENTERTAINMENT-BOLLYWOOD-TENDULKAR(14 of14)
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Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (R) reacts as Bollwood singer Asha Bhonsle kisses his hand at a function to launch the music of her debut film 'Mai' - Mother - in Mumbai on January 22, 2013. The film ‘Mai’, which is Bhosale’s maiden film, conveys a strong social message to take care of the elderly suffering from Almitzer’s disease which creates partial or total memory loss (a state of dementia) in the patient. AFP PHOTO/Indranil MUKHERJEE (Photo credit should read INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
1997: Named Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
1998: Scores his first double century for Mumbai against Australia in the Brabourne Stadium.
1999: November - Involved in India's highest run-scoring ODI partnership with Rahul Dravid as the pair put on 339 against New Zealand. In the same match, he records the highest individual ODI score in Indian history with an unbeaten 186.
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The Little Master and The Wall
2000: Gives up the captaincy of India after the two-Test series with South Africa.
2001: Given a suspended ban of one game in light of alleged ball tampering during a match against South Africa at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth. The ban is later lifted by the International Cricket Council after an investigation.
2003: Named the Player of the Tournament at the 2003 Cricket World Cup and scores 673 runs, the highest by any player in the tournament.
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Tendulkar with Sir Garfield Sobers and his 2003 award
2005: Overtakes Sunil Gavaskar's record of the highest number of Test centuries by claiming his 35th against Sri Lanka in Delhi.
2006: Overtakes Kapil Dev claiming the record for the highest amount of Test appearances for India with 135.
2007: 3 January - Edges past Brian Lara's world record of runs scored in Tests away from home with 5,751 runs.
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Two of cricket's greatest batsmen
June: Becomes the first player to score over 15,000 ODI runs during a match against South Africa in Belfast.
2008: March - Plays a record-breaking 417th ODI match against Australia.
August - Becomes just the third player in Test match history, and the first from India, to play 150 matches when he is selected in the third Test against Sri Lanka.
June: Nominated as the 'Icon Player' of IPL franchise Mumbai Indians, signing a deal worth US Dollars 1,121,250 per season.
17 October - Becomes the highest run scorer in Test cricket, passing Lara's previous mark of 11,953, when he reaches 16 in the first innings of the second Test against Australia.
2010: 24 February - Scores the first double century in one-day international history, hitting an unbeaten 200 against South Africa.
April - Named player of IPL3 after finishing as the tournament's top run-scorer.
3 August - Becomes most capped player in Test history, making his 169th Test appearance in the third Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo to overtake former Australia captain Steve Waugh.
19 December - Becomes first batsman to hit 50 Test centuries, achieving the feat against South Africa in Centurion.
2011: March - Hits two tournament centuries as co-hosts India win the World Cup.
November: Becomes the first man to score 15,000 Test runs during Test series against West Indies.
2012: March - Scores his 100th international century in an Asia Cup match against Bangladesh, the first player ever to do so.
23 December - Announces retirement from one-day international cricket.
2013: 10 October - Announces he will retire from Test cricket after playing in his 200th Test against the West Indies in November.