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Sachin Tendulkar, India Icon, To Retire From Cricket After 200th Test

The Little Master To Weave His Magic Bat No More
Samuel Luckhurst
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Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar waves the tricolor while celebrating victory during the final of ICC Cricket world Cup 2011 match between India and Sri Lanka at The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2, 2011.India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets. AFP PHOTO/Prakash SINGH (Photo credit should read PRAKASH SINGH/AFP/Getty Images)
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India cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar will retire from the game after playing in his 200th Test against the West Indies next month.

"All my life, I have had a dream of playing cricket for India. I have been living this dream every day for the last 24 years," Tendulkar said. "It’s hard for me to imagine a life without playing cricket because it’s all I have ever done since I was 11-years-old.

"It’s been a huge honour to have represented my country and played all over the world. I look forward to playing my 200th Test Match on home soil, as I call it a day."

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Tendulkar celebrates his maiden Test century in February 1990

Since he burst on to the scene as a 16-year-old at Karachi in 1989, Tendulkar has become the leading Test and one-day run-scorer of all-time, amassing a phenomenal 34,273 international runs in his 24-year career.

TENDULKAR FACTFILE

The 40-year-old's record of 100 international centuries is a dedication to his longevity and class, while even his leg-spin deliveries have claimed the scalps of 200 batsmen with India.

His place in the Indian team has increasingly come up for debate, however. In his past 12 Tests, Tendulkar has averaged just 22.52 and passed 50 on only two occasions.

Sachin Tendulkar Turns 42
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The Little Master at the crease, 1989
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Not auditioning for a Jackson 5 tribute band in 1989
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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
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Ee bah gum. At the Oval ahead of his debut for Yorkshire in 1992.
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)

His last Test century was over two years ago and it took him a year to bring up his 100th international century against minnows Bangladesh in a one-dayer in March last year.

When asked in April if he was closer to calling time, Tendulkar offered a blunt rebuke.

"People have been talking about my retirement since 2005, but that does not worry me at all," he said.

"Your job is to write, my job is to play. I will stick to my job and you stick to yours."

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