The cricketing realm has witnessed the emergence of numerous superstars, including the likes of Australian legend Donald Bradman, West Indian icon Brian Lara, and some notable figures like Ricky Ponting, Kapil Dev, Shane Warne, and Glen McGrath.
Nearly all of these batsmen have been at the top of their game and have been called the king of cricket in their time. Interestingly, none of these esteemed cricketers has been officially bestowed the symbolic title, God of Cricket, except Sachin Tendulkar.
Sachin Tendulkar has been called the God of Cricket by most of his colleagues and fans. With the kind of willpower, shot selection, and consistency in the performance for 24 years, there was no one who could match him. Also, being on Mumbai Indians surely helped the team in being one of the most dangerous teams in IPL history.
Now that he has retired from international cricket, people are asking about the new god of cricket.
In today’s discussion, we are set to embark on a comprehensive exploration of the God of Cricket. Through this journey, we will delve into the reasons why Sachin is considered the God of Cricket.
‘God of Cricket’ is a symbolic title given to an extraordinary player from India who has broken and set many records on the cricket field. The player’s name is Sachin Tendulkar, and he is referred to as the god of cricket in India.
Sachin was bestowed with this honor because of his exceptional records on the cricket field and the fact that he enjoys a large fanbase all around the world.
However, the primary reason for this title being bestowed upon Sachin was his 24 years of dedication to cricket. Sachin has been a devoted servant of Indian cricket for 24 years, and this title pays tribute to his contributions.
This article will examine the contributions Sachin has made to cricket and to his fans. But first, let’s explore who gave the title God of Cricket to Sachin.
In the international circuit, Matthew Hayden was the first cricketer to refer to Sachin as a cricket god. His words for Sachin were pretty simple:
“If cricket is a religion, then Sachin is a god.”
He emphasized this because of his ability to convert matches and the popularity Sachin enjoys in his home country. And on his retirement day, Mathew Hayden said the following quote about Sachin.
“I have seen god; he bats at number 4 for India.”
After this, everyone started referring to him as a god-like figure when it came to his achievements and contributions to the game.
Here, we will delve into some of the reasons why Sachin is considered the God of Cricket in India.
He was the first person to score his 20th century in ODI cricket. Saeed Anwar was the only batter at that time to have 19 centuries in ODI cricket, and Schin crossed this mark. After this record, Sachin received worldwide media coverage.
He was also the first player to reach 49 ODI hundreds. Such an accomplishment, never even dreamt of by other players, solidifies Sachin’s status as the Cricket God.
Sachin’s rise to international cricket was gradual, rather than sudden. Sachin paved his way to stardom and achieved the position you see today.
Here are some of the records that make Sachin the God of Cricket in India.
Long before he retired from cricket, he was referred to as the God of Cricket in the world. And he had the stats to back up that claim.
Here are the complete stats of Sachin Tendulkar in his long and illustrious cricketing career.
| Formats | Matches | Innings | Runs | Avg. | 100s | 50s | H/S | Not Out | Ducks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 200 | 329 | 15921 | 53 | 51 | 68 | 248* | 33 | 14 |
| ODI | 463 | 452 | 18426 | 44 | 49 | 96 | 200 | 41 | 20 |
| T20I | 01 | 01 | 10 | 10 | – | – | – | – | – |
| IPL | 78 | 78 | 2334 | 33 | 01 | 13 | 100 | 09 |
These are some of the things that make Sachin a God in the cricketing world.
Cricket fans in India admire Sachin so much that they consider him their god. And once Sachin retired from international cricket, they started contemplating who would be the new god of cricket in all formats.
Well, there are two contenders for the coveted title of the new god of cricket; one is Virat Kohli, and the other one is Rohit Sharma.
Some people call Sachin the 1st god of cricket, Virat the 2nd god of cricket, and Rohit the 3rd god of cricket. Let’s read more about Rohit and Virat and why they might be considered the god of cricket.
Fans consider Virat Kohli the 2nd God of Cricket because he is breaking most of the records set by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Virat helped India achieve a position in the test Ranking that was desired by the team and fans.
Cricket fans are most excited about seeing Virat play as they are having the experience of breaking the record of one legend by another even playing against the fastest bowler in cricket. In a short span, Virat has broken many records and is in line to break the most desirable record of them all – the most centuries across formats. But the question remains, will the current Indian stalwart be able to overtake Sachin in this regard?
He performed with bat in all formats without compromising his form even during his captaincy days. And he turned out to be the best captain India has ever had in Test Cricket. His test team decimated Australia in their own backyard in the Test series for the first time. You should take a look at our list of international centuries by Virat Kohli and see that he has even surpassed Sachin Tendulkar in some areas.
Here is the list of records assimilated by Virat during his career to get this prestigious title, the second God of cricket.
Now, let’s take a quick look at the overall stats for Virat Kohli in his career. He has had quite a formidable career and piled on many records for the country and himself. For his sheer determination to better himself on the cricket field, people also call him the GOAT of Cricket.
This is the complete table of the stats for Virat Kohli to date.
| M | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100 | 200 | 50 | 4s | 6s | |
| Test | 112 | 188 | 11 | 8714 | 254 | 49.23 | 15772 | 55.25 | 29 | 7 | 29 | 971 | 24 |
| ODI | 292 | 280 | 44 | 13848 | 183 | 58.68 | 14797 | 93.59 | 50 | 0 | 72 | 1294 | 152 |
| T20I | 115 | 107 | 31 | 4008 | 122 | 52.74 | 2905 | 137.97 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 356 | 117 |
| IPL | 237 | 229 | 34 | 7263 | 113 | 37.25 | 5586 | 130.02 | 7 | 0 | 50 | 643 | 234 |
In the current era of the Indian team, Rohit Sharma is one of the most formidable batsmen ever to play the game. That is why some might refer to him as the god of cricket and impact player in IPL.
Just like you admire Tendulkar’s cover drive, and Kohli’s flick, you would also like Sharma’s pull shot. He is the one batsman to watch out for whenever he plays for India. You can read about Rohit Sharma’s centuries in one of the articles we wrote on this website. His innings of 264 runs against Sri Lanka was filled with extravagant stroke play. This innings included 33 boundaries and 9 sixes, which amounts to a whopping 186 runs and longest six in cricket history. Second on the list is Martin Guptill who tallied 162 runs in boundaries during his 237 against West Indies.
He has carved himself a place of his own by displaying unmatched quality and consistency. Despite making a name for himself in white ball cricket, Test cricket continued to be an uphill task for Rohit. But now, Rohit is the preferred choice for opener in Test cricket. Since his proper induction in Test cricket, he hasn’t looked back. He continued to pile on runs wherever he played. After Virat Kohli resigned from the captaincy in 2022, Rohit was named the captain of the Indian Test team as well.
Upon reading that article, you will get to know how good he is at creating an impact on the cricket field.
Here are some stats to back up the claim of the 3rd god of cricket in India.
The way Rohit is playing, there is no doubt that he will break many records in ODI cricket. But the question is, can he break the records set by Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli? Only time can give us the answer to this question.
Here are the current career stats for the 3rd god of cricket in India.
| M | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100 | 200 | 50 | 4s | 6s | |
| Test | 53 | 89 | 9 | 3682 | 212 | 46.02 | 6548 | 56.23 | 10 | 1 | 16 | 395 | 77 |
| ODI | 262 | 254 | 36 | 10709 | 264 | 49.12 | 11644 | 91.97 | 31 | 3 | 55 | 993 | 323 |
| T20I | 148 | 140 | 15 | 3853 | 118 | 30.82 | 2767 | 139.25 | 4 | 0 | 29 | 348 | 182 |
| IPL | 243 | 238 | 28 | 6211 | 109 | 29.58 | 4776 | 130.05 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 554 | 257 |
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Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma are undoubtedly exceptional players who’ve left an indelible mark on the cricketing world through their extraordinary talents. They have garnered immense admiration and reverence from cricket fans worldwide, and some are considering their god-like status.
These three cricketers have not only achieved remarkable personal milestones by contributing significantly to their home country but left an impression on the fans as well. Their ability to perform consistently on the cricket pitch makes their followers believe in them and hold them in gold-like stature.
What do you think about them? Do you think there is no one better than them, tell us in the comments and start a healthy discussion.
