Books on Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar made his debut in Karachi against Pakistan team that included Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, who also made his debut in that test. Perhaps no sportsman, certainly no cricketer, has loved his sport so obsessively, so absolutely, and for so long as Sachin Tendulkar has done. Tendulkar has fans everywhere and writers have celebrated his contribution to India’s most loved sport in several books. Here are some books on the god of cricket. 

Sachin: The Story of The World’s Greatest Batsman (2003) by Gulu Ezekiel

In the twelve years that he has been in the public eye, Sachin Tendulkar has been explosive on the cricket field and just as reticent off it. He was barely fifteen years old when he first wrote his name into the record books with a stupendous 664-run partnership with his childhood friend Vinod Kambli.

Two year later, he struck his first century in first-class cricket. At eighteen, he became the second youngest man to make a hundred in international cricket, and after that there was no looking back. Records tumbled by the wayside as he captivated audiences first in his home city of Mumbai, then in the rest of India and all over the cricket-playing world. Today, Sachin is widely accepted as the world's finest batsman, with impeccable technique, an incredible array of strokes, and maturity far beyond his years. His teammates and friends swear by him, his fans worship him and there are few, if any, critics of his game or his temperament.

In this biography of the hero of Indian cricket, sports writer Gulu Ezekiel mines interviews, press reports and conversations over the last decade to create an accurate and sympathetic account of the man and his first passion: cricket. He tracks Sachin from his childhood when he first caught the bug of cricket, through his early performances in the Ranji Trophy and other domestic tournaments, and follows him on his meteoric rise to international stardom. With unfailing attention to detail, he reconstructs the crucial matches and events that marked Sachin's career and unravels for us the magic of the charismatic cricketer whom Wisden once dubbed 'bigger than Jesus'.

Sachin: The Story of the World's Greatest Batsman, the first, serious exhaustive biography of the Tendulkar career so far, brings back, like a warm autumn breeze does, the memory of the wunderkind's early exhilarating summers in international cricket...The book is akin to a documentary in prose...the book's big virtue is that it is laboriously researched and cross-referenced. For any quizzer on Mastermind India opting for "The Life and Times of Sachin Tendulkar" as their specialist subject there's good news. You just got yourself the ready reckoner that covers 1973-2002.

Sachin Tendulkar: A Definitive Biography (2005) by Vaibhav Purandare

Sachin Tendulkar: A Definitive Biography by Vaibhav Purandare is a book in which the author has attempted to highlight some special aspects about one of the greatest sportsperson in the world. The book talks about Sachin Tendulkar, the renowned Indian cricketer, and throws light on his professional and personal life. It also attempts to present the attributes of the past that shaped Sachin to become one of the most prolific batsmen in the world.

Sachin Tendulkar: A Definitive Biography throws light on the preparation that Sachin undertook to achieve all the milestones that he aimed for. The book highlights the highs and lows of his career, and the personal and professional tragedies that he suffered, and also the news that were contentious about him. This biography outlines the personal life of Sachin, which has not been reflected in the public domain so far.

The A to Z of Sachin Tendulkar 1st Edition (2006) by Gulu Ezekiel

This unique book traces the life and career of Sachin in alphabetical order, from A for Abdul Qadir to Z for Zimbabwe with over 200 entries, some well known, others obscure. All his batting feats are recorded in meticulous detail with extensive statistics and eye-witness accounts of his greatest moments from his contemporaries as well as in the words of the man himself.  

Sachin Tendulkar: The Definitive Biography (2008) by Vaibhav Purandare

Ever since Sachin Tendulkar burst into the public arena, making his debut in 1989 as a cherubic curly haired 16 year old child prodigy, he has captured the attention and the love of millions of fans. His prodigious performances on the field since that time has served to raise him to a place of reverence in this cricket mad country.

There have been numerous biographies on Tendulkar over the past decades. They have showcased his records, talked about his brilliant performances, his family, and his personal life.

Sachin Tendulkar: The Definitive Biography also talks of his records, his hundreds, his close friendship with Kambli, his brilliant performances against tough opposition even at a young age, his incredible genius for the game, and so on.

But, Sachin Tendulkar: The Definitive Biography also goes deeper into the life of Tendulkar as a person, revealing some interesting facts about him that, even in this information age, few people have known.

The book reveals the story of a man who was gifted with prodigious talent in a sport that India is mad about, and has been performing at high levels for more than twenty years. He has set an incredible number of world records, and yet remains humble and modest.

Sachin Tendulkar: The Definitive Biography shows the man behind the idol, the young boy who has grown into a mature man, and yet retains all the passion and zeal with which he first started his international career.

It is a book for fans of Sachin Tendulkar and for sports fans alike.

If Cricket Is A Religion, Sachin Is God (2009) by Vijay Santhanam, Shyam

This book is for the fan and the analyst, by two writers who consider themselves fans and analysts in equal measure. It follows the career of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, demi-god and cricketer – his rise, his peak, his dark phase, and his resurrection. It asks the tough questions asked of him, through the lens of statistics.

Numbers are not everything, but once one has framed and understood the context, they are certainly stronger than opinions. The authors seek to compare him with his peers in both major forms of the game and present the data so that the reader can independently draw conclusions.

Sach 1st Edition (2011) by Gautam Bhattacharya

Sach keeps its readers highly engrossed as it provides them with the life journey of the master-blaster, Sachin Tendulkar.

Apart from listing his outstanding achievements throughout the book, the author highlights the ups and downs faced by Sachin to achieve his goal of becoming one of the world’s best batsmen. The author also throws light on the values possessed by the legend of cricket such as humility, non-star like image, and his role as a son, dad, and spouse. It also describes the role played by his brother and spouse throughout his cricketing career.

The book contains a few lines about Sachin by other famous cricketers such as Sourav Ganguly, Sunil Gavaskar, and Rahul Dravid. Apart from that, the author also requests other prominent figures such as Dev Anand, Asha Bhosle, and Dilip Kumar, to pen a few lines in praise of the champion.

The foreword of the book is not written by the author, but by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is presently the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team. In the foreword, M.S. Dhoni recounts the first time he met Sachin and mentions the reason for his strong fan following.

Sachin: Genius Unplugged (2011) by Suresh Menon

Sachin Tendulkar has made poets of prose writers even if occasionally his strokeplay has demonstrated the futility of conveying in words the brilliance of his batsmanship. Sachin: Genius Unplugged, brings together writers and contemporaries whose perspectives on the player are unique. Their insights are strained through experience.

Like writers and artists, sportsmen are subject to revisionism, with fresh appraisals adding to the known portrait. A good place to start is the contemporary report. How was a player received in his own time? Sometimes reputations grow with every ball not bowled or every stroke not played, and it is fascinating to know what writers think without the benefit of hindsight.

The essays in the book are by writers who have been reporting Tendulkar’s game, analysing his batting, placing him in context, criticising him over the years. It is a first draft of biography, with the advantage that it is not limited to a single point of view.

Every writer has a personal story as well as a measured, professional one, and part of the joy of the book is to read the admission of veteran writers like Mike Coward on how the player figures in his bank accounts, for example. Harsha Bhogle’s first interview with Sachin, Osman Samiuddin’s discussion with his mathematician father, Barney Ronay’s air-cricket, Peter Roebuck’s comparisons with Viv Richards, Mike Marqusee’s deeply felt personal essay, Gideon Haigh’s take on the commercial value of Tendulkar’s bodily fluids, and personal insights by Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Bishan Bedi, throw light on Tendulkar, on the writers, and on the art of sportswriting itself. The Foreword on the most successful batsman of all time is by the most successful bowler of all time, Muttiah Muralitharan.

The book is edited by Suresh Menon, columnist and author, who has known Tendulkar since he reported the player’s debut match in Pakistan. It is a treat both for those who read cover-to-cover at one go and readers who love to dip in now and then, savouring the individual essays at leisure.

Sachin: 501 Things You Don’t Know about the Master Blaster (2011) by Suvam Pal

This book delves into the life of the milestone man, both on and off the field, through quizzes and a slew of factoids and trivia about him. The questions, encompassing various phases of Sachin s life and cricketing career, try to unravel the enigma that is the man and gives a chance to his fans to test their knowledge about their idol.

Ranging from his childhood, to his days as a prodigy, to his baptism by fire in international cricket, to the making of the greatest modern-day cricketer and an iconic brand, the book covers a wide spectrum of interesting information and lesser-known facts about India s biggest sporting icon.

Master Stroke: 100 Centuries of Sachin Tendulkar (2011) by Neelima Athalye

The book is a Tale of hundred’s. "Sachin has achieved one milestone after the other in the last twenty two years. People have cherished those glorious moments in their memories. Bring back those memories, experience those wonderful moments all over again through this book, which vividly brings back to life each and every of Sachin's 100 centuries, recall the exciting moments in all those 100 matches and much more."

Sachin Tendulkar (2011) by Andy Croft

Sachin Tendulkar is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsman in the history of cricket, and is a hero to millions in his native India. This book tells the fascinating story of Sachin Tendulkar's rise from schoolboy prodigy to the dizzy heights of international cricketing superstardom.

5 feet 5 inch Run Machine: Sachin Tendulkar (2012) by Amit B. Kalantri

5 Feet 5 Inch Run Machine this book has the 400 quotes/insights written on Sachin Tendulkar by Me. The title of the book is self explanatory. These quotes explain his batting excellence, his noble character and people s love and feelings for him. As soon as you read the quote you will find that you have experienced the explanation in the quote in your life while watching Sachin s batting.

The quotes are written with relevant metaphors and sensitivity because Sachin s batting is both best and beautiful. There are few quotes said by the renowned cricketers of the world for Sachin. But this book does not include those quotes. The quotes are original and new written by author who is great fan of Sachin Tendulkar.

Sachin: Born to Bat (2012) by Khalid A-H Ansari, Clayton Murzello, Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin: Born to Bat by veteran journalist Khalid A-H Ansari and edited by Clayton Murzello is a unique ode to contemporary cricket s finest batsman.

In the words of the author: This is an attempt to impartially probe the crucial mental, physical and emotional ingredients of a cricketing god . I have tried to turn the laser on the maestro s persona - innumerable blemishes and all - to prevent the book from degenerating into a shabaash, wah-wah hagiography. For all his splendiferous achievements, Sachin has also shown that he is a mere mortal with feet of clay - witness his run-ins with authority, cricketing and civil.

Despatches to MiD DAY, one of Asia s leading newspapers, from some of the world s most famous names in cricket writing - Ayaz Memon, Harsha Bhogle, Ian Chappell, Mike Coward, Peter Roebuck and other luminaries - grace the pages of this book.

Tributes from cricket s most famous personalities including Tendulkar s Team India teammates and coaches make this publication invaluable in helping cricket enthusiasts understand what makes Sachin the peerless champion he is.

The book also captures critical moments of Tendulkar s wondrous cricketing career from photographers who have followed him throughout his distinguished career.

Sachin: A Hundred Hundreds Now (2012) by V. Krishnaswamy, Ramakant Achrekar, Rahul Dravid

The wait is over. For the world’s finest batsman and for a nation of cricket lovers whose hopes and ambitions accompanied Sachin Tendulkar every time he stepped out to bat.

On March 16, 2012, at Mirpur in Dhaka, after opening the innings for India, Sachin nudged the ball to behind square leg in the forty-fourth over to cross the final barrier: a hundred centuries in international cricket. In this account of the master batsman’s incredible journey, sportswriter V. Krishnaswamy takes us through every hundred, every peak scaled on Sachin’s way to the top. With an introduction by former India captain Rahul Dravid and a foreword by Sachin’s first and most famous coach Ramakant Achrekar, this is a book for every cricket and Sachin fan.

Sachin – Tribute To A Legend (2012) by by Kasturi & Sons Ltd

A century of international centuries has catapulted Sachin Tendulkar from a prodigy to a phenomenon. Sachin - Tribute to a legend from The Hindu takes you on a nostalgic trip to relive his greatest sporting moments. 

Comprising rare news articles, interviews, statistics, pictures and much more from the archives of The Hindu and Sportstar, this book vividly recounts the batting maestro's many memorable centuries, less-remembered masterpieces and even the anonymous ground-out hundreds. A dedication to his countless fans from The Hindu, this collector's item was graciously released by the Little Master himself on his birthday, the 24th of April, 2012.

Master Laster: What they don’t Tell You about Sachin Tendulkar (2013) by Sumit Chakraberty

This book takes you beyond Sachin Tendulkars career aggregates and passionate assertions. There are almost as many books about Sachin Tendulkar as there are centuries by him. Just as there is only one Tendulkar century that came in a winning run chase in the last innings of a test match, rare are the books that look at his personal records through the prism of how much they mattered to the team. In fact there are none, because the easiest thing to do is to produce adulatory tomes for his doting fans. There are an equal number of cricket fans out there who want to know something more than gushing accolades and who don't shy away from asking difficult questions.

The book covers: A quarter of a century of Indian cricket, bringing back to life many a game played during Tendulkars time.It indulges fans in one of the enduring joys of cricket, discussing a point threadbare from multiple angles. How many of his centuries made a difference to the team?What is his track record under pressure?

None of the books on Tendulkar has engaged fans in these debates. There is the odd question raised here or a critical comment made there in memoirs by former cricketers, but not a single book that sifts through the mountain of Tendulkar records to see what value can be attached to them from a teams point of view. An exercise like that can be quite revealing, even startling and certainly a lot of fun for cricket lovers. It sets the Tendulkar debate against specific data, taking it beyond career aggregates and passionate assertions.

Master Laster covers the variables in the game and its infinite possibilities. It also deals with why this game is so fascinates so many of us.

Sachin: Cricketer of the Century (2013) by Vimal Kumar

Part of India’s World Cup - winning squad and the team that took India to its No. 1 Test ranking, Sachin Tendulkar has blazed his way through the cricketing world for more than two decades, tearing through matches and records alike. The highest run-getter in both Tests and ODIs in the history of the game, he has also reached what is a truly fabulous milestone - one hundred international centuries.

Sachin: Cricketer of the Century takes the reader on a journey from stellar innings to stellar innings, surveying the batting genius,s brilliant career through the eyes of a pantheon of people who are legends in their own right - from Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Nasser Hussain and Courtney Walsh to Waqar Younis, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. This is the ultimate tribute to the greatest batsman the modern era has seen.

Sachin Tendulkar: Greatness and Where He Fell Short (2013) by Shantanu Kamat

This book takes an in depth look at India’s iconic cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar including his success and where he fell short. Author of the book who is of Sachin’s age, describes how the child prodigy Sachin took over the entire nation by storm in his early days. How he quickly earned the status of batting genius and the God, which puts Sachin in the ultimate batting league of only Viv Richards and Brian Lara. Book goes a step beyond, to praise Sachin outside his batting records and greatness.

Author measures Sachin’s performances in context, by judging him only against the best attacks, the toughest batting conditions and the high pressure big occasions in the game. Just the way the book mentions Sachin’s heroics over the 23 year career, book also sheds light on how he has come up short against the world champion Australian side, the South Africans and at the high pressure big occasion innings.

Author also explores the Indian cricket culture. of putting personal milestones ahead of the team’s performances, and how the retirements of the players are delayed, hurting the performance of the team and the careers of the new youngsters. In the end, Author talks about the successful MS Dhoni era and how Sachin has positively contributed to this era.