First article on the God of Cricket published in 1986

With a young Sachin Tendulkar at an Irani restaurant

The first ever article on Sachin was published in MiD DAY: After interviewing him for the first time in 1986, then MiD DAY journalist Sunil Warrier thought Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar would emulate the dashing Sandeep Patil.

Mumbai:  The first ever article on Sachin was published in MiD DAY: After interviewing him for the first time in 1986, then MiD DAY journalist Sunil Warrier thought Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar would emulate the dashing Sandeep Patil.

Shardashram, be it the English or the Marathi medium school, has always been in the news because of the cricketing abilities it produces. It has always managed to win a major inter-school title every year. This year Shardashram (English) has been in the news. The players annexed both, the Giles as well as the Harris Shield.

In the Harris Shield, they retained the title when they beat their sister schoolmates, from Shardashram (Marathi) and in the Giles, they defeated Don Bosco, Matunga to record a grand double. And the boy who made it possible was Sachin Tendulkar.

Sachin, who is 13 years old and studies in Std VII, took up playing cricket at his brother's insistence. Ajit Tendulkar is the only other member of the family who plays cricket. He plays in the 'A' division in the local league matches. Although his father, who is a professor in Kirti College, did not know much about cricket, Sachin was always encouraged by him.

Nowadays, Sachin plays so much that he is hardly at home and does not even get time to study. But he does intend to obtain his graduation degree.

Sachin was coached by Ramakant Achrekar, the school coach, Vasu Paranjape, Das Shivalkar and also by Milind Rege.

He also used to attend camps conducted by Balwinder Singh Sandhu at the Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers venue where the latter and Sandeep Patil advised him to bowl leg-spin, but eventually changed tactic as Sachin wanted to be an attacking bowler.

Sachin does not like to plod on while batting. He always prefers to attack. His only ambition is to score centuries. This season in the Harris Shield (under-17) he scored 276 against BPM High School, Khar in one day. He came in to bat when his side was tottering at 26 for 2 and went on to score a double century.

In the second round against St Xavier's, he scored 123 and also captured eight wickets for a paltry 29 runs. Although Sachin did not have a good score in the semi-final against St Mary's, he rattled up 42 and 150 runs, and captured two wickets for 48 in the first innings and two for 57 in the second against Shardashram (Marathi) in the final.

In the Giles (under-15) tourney, in the first round against Balmohan Vidyamandir, Sachin had an unbeaten knock of 159 against his name. In the next round against Barfiwala he scored another century -- 156. He also captured 4 wickets for 29 runs in the second innings. Against St Mary's in the semi-final, Sachin missed a double ton by a whisker, falling three short. He again captured five wickets conceding 75 runs in the second innings. In the final against Don Bosco, he scored two half centuries and also captured a wicket.

After all his good showing it was no wonder that he was selected for the Bombay and West Zone team for the Vijay Merchant Trophy. And in that trophy, Sachin scored another ton -- 123 against Maharashtra. Playing for West Zone he scored 74 runs and also captured a wicket against the South Zone team. He also captained the under-15 Giles Shield team and was the vice-captain for the Harris Shield team.

The square-cut and the off-drive are his favourite strokes, while Vivian Richards and Sunil Gavaskar are his favourite batsmen. Sachin does not miss an opportunity to see them in action, either on video or in the cricketing arena. He loves to play one-day cricket more than a four-day match. His natural instincts are to attack from the word go.

Sachin devotes so much time to cricket that he does not have time to take interest in any other game. But he loves to watch tennis. After the memorable Borg-McEnroe clash in 1980, Sachin let his hair grow -- Borg style.

Since then it has always been cricket and more cricket.

In the few free hours that he gets, he listens to western music. Why western music, when his father is a poet? Most of his friends are from Bombay Scottish, as he lives in Shivaji Park, and they all love western songs. He thrives on Michael Jackson's songs. Sachin is also a good singer.

Seems to be another Sandeep Patil in the making!

Foreign media on Sachin Tendulkar's retirement

Sachin Tendulkar today announced his decision to retire from Test cricket after playing his landmark 200th match against the West Indies next month, bringing an end to the intense speculation about his future.

Here is what the foreign media has to say about his announcement:

BBC: Sachin Tendulkar: India batting legend to retire from all cricket
Legendary India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. (Read more here)

The Guardian: Sachin Tendulkar to retire from cricket after 200th Test for India

The 40-year-old Tendulkar is the most prolific batsman in international cricket history with 15,837 runs in 198 tests and 18,426 runs in 463 one-day internationals. (Read more here)

Dawn: Tendulkar announces retirement from cricket

India's record-breaking batsman Sachin Tendulkar announced on Thursday that he would retire after playing his 200th cricket Test match next month. (Read more here)

ABC Online: Sachin Tendulkar announces he will retire after his 200th Test appearance for India

India batting great Sachin Tendulkar has announced he will retire after playing his 200th Test match next month. (Read more here)

Daily Mail: End of an era: Indian great Tendulkar to retire from cricket after 200th Test

The Indian batting genius, 40, will call it a day following the second match against West Indies, which runs from November 14-18. (Read more here)

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

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.(Read more here)

The Telegraph: Sachin Tendulkar announces he will retire from cricket after his 200th Test Match for India

He has broken almost every batting record in the sport, having scored the most Test and ODI runs in history and compiled the most hundreds in both forms of the game. (Read more here)

Express.co.uk: Peerless Sachin Tendulkar to RETIRE from all forms of cricket

Legendary India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has called time on his cricket career. (Read more here)

Sky Sports: Sachin Tendulkar to retire after 200th Test against West Indies next month

Tendulkar holds almost every major batting record in Test cricket, scoring a remarkable 15,837 runs at an average in excess of 53, including 51 centuries and 67 half-centuries.
(Read more here)

Mirror: Cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar to retire after his 200th Test following 'dream' career

One of the greatest batsman ever to play the sport has confirmed it's nearly time to hang up his boots - 24 years after his international debut. (Read more here)

News.com.au: Indian cricket great Sachin Tendulkar announces he will retire after his upcoming 200th Test

India's record-breaking batsman Sachin Tendulkar announced on Thursday that he would retire after playing his 200th cricket Test match next month.(Read more here)

The Wall Street Journal: Sachin Tendulkar Announces Retirement

Tendulkar has scored a record 15,837 runs and 51 centuries in 198 Tests. Only a cold-hearted soul wouldn't wish for him to end his spectacular career with another big score, or two.(Read more here)

Sydney Morning Herald: Sachin Tendulkar to retire next month

India's record-breaking batsman Sachin Tendulkar announced on Thursday that he would retire after playing his 200th cricket Test match next month.(Read more here)

CNN: Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar announces retirement

India's most famous sportsman Sachin Tendulkar will retire from cricket after playing his 200th Test match, he announced Thursday. (Read more here)

सुनिए सचिन तेंदुलकर का वर्ष 1990 का इंटरव्यू

 सचिन तेंदुलकर का 1990 में दिया हुआ इंटरव्यू, जिसमें वह कह रहे हैं कि वह भविष्‍य नहीं बता सकते. वहीं अन्‍य महान खिलाड़ी भी उनके खेल को देखकर दंग रह जाते हैं.

Blog: A quiet exit today, but Sachin Tendulkar sent us cups of tea

Mumbai: "Is he inside? Will he speak to the media."

Waiting outside the Master Blaster's high-security bungalow near Carter Road in Bandra West, the expectation was that Sachin Tendulkar would indulge the media and open up one final time.

Anticipating a huge crowd of his fans and the media, the Mumbai police beefed up security, even adding a small contingent of the state reserve police force.

Residents from the building opposite his bungalow peered outside to get a better view. One old lady even comfortably positioned herself on a chair in her balcony, just in case her neighbors too joined in and there was a scramble for space.

After all it was his final exit from the sport he had played for nearly a quarter of a century.

Alas, as expected, that never happened. "Tendlya" didn't oblige even on his big day. The quiet superstar chose a quiet exit.

No drama, no flashiness. The humility with which he spent his active years, with that humility he has chosen to call it a day.

But the considerate cricketer, who has dealt with the media for so many years, graciously did send some hot tea for waiting reporters.

Luckily for the police the crowd didn't swell. A few fans did stop by, including a large group of kids from a nearby madrassa. The rest were curious passers-by who were happy to learn from us that Sachin lived right there. One youngster waited for two hours with a plastic bag carrying bananas. An enterprising journalist asked him if he had brought it for his hero.

"Nahin, boss. Apne liye hai," he said.

Respect, admiration and trust. Talk to any fan and this is basically what they think and feel about Sachin. But the fan is also a lover of the game. The announcement hardly comes as a surprise. After playing for so long, at 40, age had caught up. And India was ready to let Sachin go, but with his held high and with full honors.

And hence, their response was just apt. They saluted their hero, showered him with a million praises, wished him well and now want to see him bat like a legend in his last test match.

But even the city's die-hard fans realize: sometimes even God is human, even if he happens to be a "Mumbai cha Mulga." (Mumbai Boy)!

Tears flood alert issued after Tendulkar announces retirement

Delhi road flooded with tears after Sachin’s announcement.

Soon after the God of cricket announced his retirement, taking precautionary measure, meteorological department has issued flood alert as people are unstoppably crying all over the country.

“It’s not only people who are crying, even cats, dogs, birds, and almost every other being capable of crying are shedding tears, faster than Mumbai torrential rains,” said Indra Sharma, head of Indian meteorological department.

“This whole mourning activity may continue till Sunday, so tears level can see a sudden upsurge as people are quite free on weekends. So a possibility of flood couldn’t be ignored,” he added.

Sensing the gravity of situation, central government has asked Army to be ready to rescue Sachin fans from getting drowned in depression.

Government has also made a special request to Rajnikanth and Sir Ravindra Jadeja to avoid crying, as then it might be impossible even for army to control the situation.
As of now reports of waterlogging is coming from some part of Delhi and Mumbai and people have been asked to stay in their home.

However, ignoring warning, at Sher-E-Punjab colony in Andheri area of Mumbai, Sachin fans gathered at a park in the neighborhood for a group mourning session. There we spotted many people carrying swimming tubes.

“Sachin fans are so upset that after running out of tears, they are drinking more and more water to produce more tears. In last few hours, I have sold 200 bottles of mineral water,” said a shopkeeper from Paharganj while wiping off tears from his eyes and taking a sip of water.

Since 11, cricket has been my life: Sachin Tendulkar's letter to BCCI

Sachin Tendulkar has announced his retirement after he plays his 200th test. Here is  a statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

MEDIA RELEASE

Sachin Tendulkar has contacted the President, BCCI, and has requested the BCCI to release the following statement to the Media, on his behalf:

"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. 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.

I thank the BCCI for everything over the years and for permitting me to move on when my heart feels it's time! I thank my family for their patience and understanding. Most of all, I thank my fans and well-wishers who through their prayers and wishes have given me the strength to go out and perform at my best."

Sachin Tendulkar

Sanjay Patel
Hony. Secretary
BCCI

Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid: The Last Time

Apart from the domestic circuit, franchise-based cricket is the only format that pits them against each other and after Sunday (October 6), even that won't happen again. Tendulkar has already confirmed that he won't play the Indian Premier League next year and Dravid, while he hasn't said so in as many words, has often hinted that this is it.

The Champions League Twenty20 2013 final was also about Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid playing each other for the last time in recognised cricket.

Apart from the domestic circuit, franchise-based cricket is the only format that pits them against each other and after Sunday (October 6), even that won't happen again. Tendulkar has already confirmed that he won't play the Indian Premier League next year and Dravid, while he hasn't said so in as many words, has often hinted that this is it.

Interestingly, as Dravid pointed out during a pre-match interview with Ravi Shastri for the host broadcasters, he hasn't really played against Tendulkar much. "I don't think we have played against each other too much and all our contests have been in coloured clothing, surprisingly, despite playing for so many years," said Dravid.

Tendulkar added that it was a "rare moment" in many ways, despite the two having been around for so long. "The first time I saw Rahul was way back in 1993-94 or so, and since then we have been in whites and in colour, playing for the same team," he said. "We have had the opportunity to play each other in coloured clothing in the IPL. But we haven't had a chance to play against each other in whites - that would have been something special."

The two did, in fact, play against each other in the Irani Trophy as recently as September 2003, but have clearly forgotten. Dravid has enough reason to remember that match though as he ended up on the winning side - Rest of India - against Mumbai, who were led by Tendulkar. Both performed well with the bat on that occasion, Dravid scoring 41 and 121, while Tendulkar hit 94 and 50.

By the time Dravid made his first-class debut, in 1990-91, Tendulkar was already in the Indian team. And Dravid was quick to remember that when asked about being colleagues in the Indian team for so many years.

"He is slightly younger than me but he is so much my senior as a cricketer," pointed out Dravid. "In my third Test match, Sachin was captain of India. He was someone you looked up to in a sense as a cricketer because growing up, you saw this young kid do amazing things around the world.

"It was an inspiration for all of us playing first-class cricket that if this guy can do it, maybe we can do it. Growing up and to be on that England tour in 1996, sharing a dressing room with him, it was a huge thrill."

Tendulkar was equally quick in praising Dravid. "Any day in my team he would be No. 3," he said. "There are so many innings when he has batted brilliantly. When most of the guys found it difficult and he was comfortable. He loved challenges and when the situation demanded, you could bank on Rahul."

Together, they played for India for a decade and a half - the last time they were in an Indian team together was during the Adelaide Test in January 2012. That's many, many days of being mates, sharing more time than the closest of spouses manage, and doing amazing things, individually and in tandem.

Indeed, much of the build up to the final was also about the Tendulkar vs Dravid subplot. That was the case with the inaugural match of the main draw of the CLT20 as well, when back on September 21, Mumbai took on Rajasthan in Jaipur. Dravid's team beat Tendulkar's on that occasion.

That didn't, however, stop hundreds of youngsters turning out in the blue of either Mumbai or Rajasthan in neutral New Delhi, and much of the excitement was about watching Tendulkar, obviously the bigger hero, one last time in Mumbai's colours. (Mumbai vs Rajasthan, as it happened)

Shouts of 'Sachin, Sachin' had started well before people had entered the stadium and continued unabated once they were inside. The only time there was a lull was when, before Rajasthan came out to field, their players lined up to give Dravid a guard of honour. For a brief while, the chant turned to 'Rahul, Rahul', but only for a brief while, because Tendulkar stepped out to bat soon enough. Three exquisite boundaries only increased the fans' appetite till, in the fifth over, Shane Watson sent Tendulkar's off stump cartwheeling. (Dravid thanks players, supporters for warm farewell)

The crowd had gone silent and Tendulkar walked back looking more than a little emotional, slowing down midway to raise his bat and acknowledge the cheers, and then walking back to the dugout through the guard of honour prepared by his teammates. For Dravid though, the time for niceties was long over. He still had work to do and even as the giant screens at the ground had Tendulkar's face splashed on them, Dravid was in the middle, doing his high fives and chalking out the next plan of action.

CLT20: Sachin Tendulkar first Indian to reach 50,000 runs in all formats

In Mumbai Indians' semi-final against Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday, Sachin Tendulkar reached another landmark by completing an astounding 50,000 runs in competitive cricket across all formats.

Needing 26 runs on the day to reach the mark, Tendulkar tucked the ball towards midwicket for a single off left-arm spinner Yannick Ottley to reach another milestone in a glorious career spanning close to two-and-a-half decades.

He scored 35 off 31 balls before being dismissed by Lendl Simmons.

Tendulkar now has 50009 runs in 953 competitive matches, which includes 551 List A matches, 307 First-class matches and 95 T20 games.

Tendulkar has so far scored 25,228 runs in 307 First-class matches, including a staggering 15,837 runs in 198 Tests.

The 40-year-old has 21,999 runs in 551 List A matches which includes 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs.

Having scored 2747 in the 94 earlier T20 matches, the Master Blaster scored the necessary 26 runs with ease.

Tendulkar has had an ordinary 2013 CLT20 tournament till the semifinals and could score only 20 runs in four matches with a highest score of only 15.

Sachin is also standing on the cusp of another rare feat of becoming the first player in the history of the game to play 200 Test matches, which in all likelihood will be completed in the upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies.

CLT20: I have been inspired by Sachin Tendulkar's exploits, says Rahul Dravid

Tendulkar's final T20 act and Dravid's last hurrah in competitive cricket were the talking points at the Feroz Shah Kotla as the two legends got together though in the colours of Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals.

New Delhi:  Playing for one last time together in a cricket match, albeit for different teams in the Champions League Twenty20 summit clash here, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid on Sunday heaped encomiums on each other with the latter saying that his long time former India team-mate had inspired him to strive for excellence in the game.

Tendulkar's final T20 act and Dravid's last hurrah in competitive cricket were the talking points at the Feroz Shah Kotla here as the two legends got together though in the colours of Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. The two legendary batsmen had announced that this would be their final Twenty20 season.

"Even though Tendulkar is of my age or two months younger to me, he is seven years senior to me as an international cricketer. When I came into the Indian team, in my third Test, Tendulkar was India captain. He was someone you would look up to as a young cricketer growing up. You saw this young kid do amazing things across the world. It was sort of inspiration for all of us playing first-class cricket," Dravid said before the start of the CLT20 finale.

"It was like, look if this guy can do it, we can also try to do it. The opportunity to try and share a dressing room with him, that was a huge motivation. For me to be on that England trip for the first time and share a dressing with him was a huge trip," said Dravid.

The 40-year-old Dravid had retired from international cricket at the beginning of 2012 while Tendulkar, who retired from One-Day Internationals last December, is in the twilight of his Test career. Together they have scored close to 92,000 runs in all formats of the game.

Tendulkar, who is also 40, returned the compliments, by describing Dravid as the 'master technician'.

"Absolutely, he is a master technician. Any day in my team, he will be number three, because there were so many innings in which he batted brilliantly. When the rest of the guys found it difficult, he was comfortable. He loved challenges and I knew we could bank on Rahul at the times of difficulty."

Tendulkar, who has already retired from One-day cricket but still playing the longest format, holds the record for most Test and ODI runs -- 15,837 and 18,426 runs respectively -- while Dravid has scored 13,288 Test runs and 10,889 in ODIs.

Tendulkar has also scored 100 international centuries (51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs).

The two cricket legends played together for the country for 16 years but rarely they have played against each other.

Asked about this, Dravid, who is leading the Rajasthan Royals side, said, "I can't remember playing against Sachin in Ranji Trophy for Karnataka versus Mumbai. Only played against him in West Zone versus South Zone. All our contests have been in coloured clothing, surprisingly, in spite of the fact that we played for so many years together. So one final time it is always great to play against Sachin."

Tendulkar also said that he would cherish this moment.

"I remember Rahul being part of Wills Trophy team when I was his captain but we played in whites. That was the first time I saw Rahul. I think it was way back in 1993-94 and since then we have been in whites and colours but playing in same team," he said.

"This is rare moment where we two actually get to play against each other in colour clothing, obviously in IPL. But on any other platform we have not been able to play against each other in whites and that would have been something special," said the senior batsman who is standing on the cusp of playing his 200th Test.

Tendulkar has not been in top form in this tournament, having scored only 20 runs in four matches with a highest of 15, but the Mumbaikar opened up in the semifinals against Trinidad and Tobago last night, hitting a 31-ball 35.

In the process, he completed 50,000 runs in all formats of cricket, becoming the first Indian to do so and 16th in the world. Before today's CLT20 final match, he has 50,009 runs in 956 competitive matches, which includes 551 List A matches, 307 First-class matches and 95 Twenty20 games.

Today's venue -- Kotla -- has been lucky for Tendulkar and it was here he struck his 35th Test century to surpass legendary Sunil Gavaskar.

Tendulkar did not have a great run as captain of the Mumbai Indians but played some memorable innings for the IPL franchise. In the T20 format, prior to today's outing, he had accumulated 2782 runs from 95 matches at an average of 33.11.

After playing in the last edition of IPL, which was won by his team, Tendulkar announced retirement from the format, but was somehow was convinced to play in CLT20.

Dravid, on the other hand, had a successful stint both as captain as well as a batsman in the Twenty20 format. He has scored 2528 runs from 108 matches at an average of 27.79.

He felt that IPL and CLT20 have helped India in doing better in the limited over formats.

"It (CLT20) is a great tournament. The crowd, the atmosphere. Some of the boys who are on our side, they never get to experience such things anywhere they go. And for them just to get the experience of playing against the likes of Tendulkar and others is great.

"And it's great for Indian cricket because a lot of these kids would go on to play for India and when they come in this sort of environment they are comfortable they know what to do. That is India has been doing exceptionally well in limited over cricket," Dravid said.

Tendulkar agreed and said the experience of playing with some of the best in the international circuit has helped Indian youngsters.

"It's a great tournament. You talk about players from West Indies, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England, all the players love this tournament and look forward to it, such is the importance of IPL and now CLT20. We have thoroughly enjoyed being in the dressing room where we have got to know so many players we thought were just okay as a person but once you got to know them you find this is different and perceptions change about the players.

"It's about sharing knowledge with the players. It's not about senior players giving lectures to juniors, it is also about absorbing things and that has happened in the last six years. The bottomline is what Rahul said that Indian cricket is benefiting. You see so young players sharing dressing room with players from across the world. It's about understanding the game and that is what has happened to the Indian cricket."

For Dravid, it was also about shouldering additional responsibility as he had to weather the storm during IPL-6 spot-fixing and betting scandal.

For a man who has always relied on his instincts to look ahead rather than ponder over what had happened before, Dravid faced questions on the team's integrity and ethics stoicly and weathered one controversy after another when the Royals were rocked by the arrest and subsequent life ban on S Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan. A decision is still awaited on Ajit Chandila.

After taking over the mantle of captaincy from Shane Warne during the fifth season of the IPL last year, Dravid made for a perfect leader.

"It's been a huge roller coaster. We had some great momentum going towards the end of IPL. Then some unfortunate incidents happened that brought us down a little bit as a team. Just the way the boys have responded even towards the end of the IPL and the way they have got together in this tournament I couldn't have asked for anything more," he said.

"It's been a privilege to me to captain this side and work with the support staff. It's been a fabulous journey and great ride."

CLT20: As it happened - Mumbai Indians win the title for the second time

Mumbai Indians become the winners of the 2013 Champions League Twenty20 after beating Rajasthan Royals at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.

Mumbai Indians beat Rajasthan Royals by 33 runs to win the Champions League Twenty20 for the second time.
23:44 (IST): Presentation -

Ajinkya Rahane gets the Golden Bat award for scoring 288 runs while the 41-year-old Pravin Tambe receives the Golden Wicket award. Dwayne Smith gets the Man of the Series award.

Rohit Sharma: It was a nerve-biting game, we did expect it. I would like to thank the two legends for whatever they have done to the game. We knew that with dew coming around, we needed a big score on the board. It was a great start from Smith and Maxi ended it very well. They started off the chase superbly, but our bowlers did their bit towards the end. Winning this is the icing on the cake, this is a great tournament to be playing. I would like to thank everyone associated with the team for this victory. There was a lot of expectations from us, it is great to finish with a double.

Rahul Dravid: It was a fantastic chase. Sanju and Rahane were outstanding. We perhaps gave away too many runs in the final overs. They had some superb firepower and deserved the victory. I am proud of the efforts of my team. It was a great final, we did excellently well and the crowds have been terrific as well. I have loved working with the team management and it has been a privilege to work with them. I am grateful for the kind of support that both teams gave me when I entered the ground today. I am looking forward to working with this unit in future as well.

23:33 (IST): Quotes after the match -

Glenn Maxwell: I threw some caution into the wind. It is a very good feeling to have contributed to the win.

Kieron Pollard: I just try to give my best for every team that I play for. We hope to celebrate nicely in Mumbai.

Harbhajan Singh: This is a special win. Winning Indian Premier League and now this is wonderful. I would love to thank every Mumbai fan.

Pragyan Ojha: I was really charged up today. After coming so far, not giving your best at the final is not done. I was always looking to take wickets.

Dwayne Smith: I have been working extremely hard with Robin Singh on my batting. I felt that I was in good form and wanted to cash in. Great to win the title for Mumbai.

23:19 (IST):That's it! Mumbai Indians win title for the second time after beating Rajasthan Royals by 33 runs in Delhi. Kieron Pollard finishes with 3 for 31 after Harbhajan Singh took 4/32. Sanju Samson (60) and Ajinkya Rahane (65) fought well but lacked support from other batsmen.

23:16 (IST): WICKET! Dishant Yagnik edges Kieron Pollard to Dinesh Karthik. And then gets Rahul Shukla on the next ball. Rajasthan 169/9 (18.3overs) against Mumbai Indians.

23:10 (IST): WICKET! Rahul Dravid is bowled by Nathan Coulter-Nile. Rajasthan 163/7 (17.4 overs) against Mumbai Indians.

23:05 (IST): WICKET! Harbjajan Singh takes his third wicket in the over. Cooper stumped by Dinesh Karthik. Rajasthan 159/6 (17 overs) against Mumbai Indians.

23:02 (IST): WICKET! Harbhajan Singh gets rid of Stuart Binny. Rajasthan 155/5 (16.4 overs) against Mumbai Indians.

22:59 (IST): WICKET! Harbhajan Singh on target once again and this time it's the big wicket of Ajinkya Rahane. Rajasthan 155/4 (16.1 overs) against Mumbai Indians.

22:50 (IST): WICKET! That's the end of Shane Watson and guess who Harbhajan Singh gets the big wicket. Watson takes on Bhajji only to mistime it to Kieron Pollard at long on. Rajasthan 137/3 (14.3 overs) against Mumbai Indians.

22:41 (IST): FIFTY! Ajinkya Rahane continues with his good form as he notches up another half-century. It's his fourth consecutive fifty. He also becomes first batsman to hit four fifties in single edition of CLT20. Rajasthan 123/2 (12.4 overs) against Mumbai Indians.

22:37 (IST): WICKET! Sanju Samson's fiery 33-ball 60 comes to an end. He looks to go over cover but gets a thick outside edge to Harbhajan Singh at short third man. Rajasthan 117/2 (11.5 overs) against Mumbai Indians.

22:35 (IST): Sanju Samson gets lucky here! He smashes Nathan Coulter-Nile to deep mid wicket boundary, two fielders - Harbhajan Singh and Glenn Maxwell - were after it but none reached the ball. Rajasthan 114/1 (11 overs) against Mumbai Indians.

22:25 (IST): Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson are not shy of hitting big shots and are timing the ball really well. Samson also brings up his third fifty in this edition. Rajasthan 100/1 (9 overs) against Mumbai Indians.

22:00 (IST): Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson have kept Rajasthan Royals in control despite losing Kushal Parera early. Rajasthan 46/1 (4 overs) against Mumbai Indians.

21:48 (IST): WICKET! Kushal Perera has to go. Perera plays towards mid off with soft hands and calls for a quick single but Ajinkya Rahane was not interested however Dwayne Smith was sure what he has to do. He quickly picks the ball and throws it to Dinesh Karthik who just gives a finishing touch. Rajasthan 8/1 (0.4 overs).

21:34 (IST): Mumbai Indians finish at 202 for 6 against Rajasthan Royals at Kotla. This is the highest total for Mumbai in CLT20. Dwayne Smith top scored with 44 but there were a couple of fiery knocks by Glenn Maxwell (37 off 14 balls) and Rohit Sharma (14-ball 33) that really put Mumbai on top. Ambati Rayudu also chipped in with 29. For Rajasthan, Pravin Tambe bagged two wickets while Shane Watson, James Faulkner and Rahul Shukla bagged one each.

21:32 (IST): WICKET! Glenn Maxwell is run out by Pravin Tambe for 37 off 14 balls. Mumbai 193/6 (19.3 overs) vs Rajasthan Royals.

21:24 (IST): It's raining sixes here! The million dollar boy of Mumbai Indians Glenn Maxwell is turning the heat on at Kotla. Dinesh Karthik also gets off the mark with a huge six. Mumbai 172/5 (18 overs) vs Rajasthan Royals.

21:18 (IST): WICKET! Rohit Sharma's fiery 14-ball 33-run knock is ended by Rahul Shukla. Rohit goes sown the track only to hit it straight to James Faulkner at deep  mid wicket. Mumbai 152/5 (17.1 overs) vs Rajasthan Royals.

21:14 (IST): WICKET! James Faulkner gets rid of Kieron Pollard for 15. Pollard goes across the line and swings his bat but misses the length ball. Mumbai 140/4 (16.2 overs) vs Rajasthan Royals.

20:12 (IST): Rohit Sharma is on fire as he is just dealing in fours and sixes at the moment. Kieron Pollard is at the other end. Mumbai have scored 64 runs in last five overs. Mumbai 139/3 (16 overs) vs Rajasthan Royals.

20:59 (IST): WICKET! Pravin Tambe gets another one as he gets rid of Ambati Rayudu. Rayudu goes down the track for a big heave but misses it completely. Mumbai 104/3 (13.4 overs) vs Rajasthan Royals.

20:50 (IST): WICKET! Pravin Tambe strikes to remove Dwayne Smith for 44. Smith looks to sweeps but misses it completely. Mumbai 77/2 (11.3 overs) vs Rajasthan Royals.

20:47 (IST): 'Unstoppable' Dwayne Smith hammers Shane Watson for three consecutive fours in his third over. Watson concedes 15 runs. Mumbai 75/1 (11 overs) vs Rajasthan Royals.

20:36 (IST): Fifty up for Mumbai Indians. Ambati Rayudu has joined Dwayne Smith in the middle after the departure of Sachin Tendulkar. Mumbai 54/1 (8 overs) vs Rajasthan Royals.

20:21 (IST): WICKET! Sachin Tendulkar is out. His last innings in Mumbai Indians clothing lasts 15 runs. Shane Watson lures him for a drive and Sachin misses it completely. Mumbai 35/1 (4.3 overs) vs Rajasthan Royals.

20:19 (IST): Dwayne Smith and Sachin Tendulkar have provided a fiery start to Mumbai Indians. Mumbai 27/0 (4 overs) vs Rajasthan Royals.

20:06 (IST): Shane Watson joins James Faulkner in the opening spell. Sachin Tendulkar gets off the mark with a single.

20:02 (IST): Dwayne Smith gets Mumbai Indians off the mark with a huge six over mid wicket.

20:00 (IST): Sachin Tendulkar walks out to bat for one final time for Mumbai Indians. Dwayne Smith is his partner. James Faulkner to start proceedings for Rajasthan Royals.

19:50 (IST): TEAMS -

Rajasthan Royals: Rahul Dravid (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Kushal Janith Perera, Sanju Samson, Shane Watson, Stuart Binny, Dishant Yagnik (wicketkeeper), James Faulkner, Kevon Cooper, Pravin Tambe, Rahul Shukla

Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar, Dwayne Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Rohit Sharma (captain), Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Harbhajan Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Pragyan Ojha

19:40 (IST): QUOTES -

Rohit Sharma: We would have fielded as well. We will come in and put up a good score on the board. We knew what kind of cricket we need to play on this wicket. It is a very good opportunity for the guys. Our bowlers are experienced and will adjust well to bowling second on this wicket. Maxwell comes in for Johnson.

Rahul Dravid: We will bowl first. Looks like there will be a little bit of dew as the evening progresses, we would like to field first. We have had a lot of performances from our youngsters, hopefully, we will get one more from them today. We believe that we have got the team for all conditions, we can play well in all conditions. Brad Hodge, Shaun Tait and Ashok Menaria miss out with injuries. Kushal Perera has joined us though, he will be our 4th overseas player. No other changes.

19:30 (IST): TOSS! Rajasthan Royals have won the toss and have decided to bowl first against Mumbai Indians at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi.

19:15 (IST): QUOTES -

Sachin Tendulkar: I remember being part of a Wills Trophy team and I was his (Rahul Dravid) captain. We have been playing in the same team but it is a rare occasion where we are playing against each other. He is absolutely a master techinician and he would be my no. 3 anytime. It's a great tournament as all the players around the world love to play this tournament and we get to know players from other countries. It is sharing knowledge and not only giving lectures to them. That has been going around for the last six years. Rajasthan have had some wonderful matches, the match against Otago (Volts) showed that they don't give up till the last minute. We are friends off the field but are very professional once we are on the field.

Rahul Dravid: One final time is nice. It's funny that we've played against each other more in coloured clothing. You must remember that Sachin is 7 years senior to me as a cricketer. Great tournament this is, for the youngsters this is a great experience. I'm ok giving away my jersey number. Dinesh Karthik is wearing mine I think. It's been a roller coaster ride for (Rajasthan) Royals. I couldn't have asked for anything more, a great journey.

18:40 (IST): Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma indicates his team will hold an edge in the final of the Champions League Twenty20 against Rajasthan Royals considering they 'know the conditions better' at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

18:15 (IST): Not only would Rajasthan have to play out of their comfort zone, they will have to take the field less than 24 hours after settling down in New Delhi, having reached the city only on Saturday evening. The Mumbai boys will also have to recover quickly too, because the final starts at 8 pm, just over 20 hours after the semifinal ended.

17:45 (IST): One of the big holes in the Mumbai arsenal, Sachin Tendulkar's poor form, might not be as big a worry anymore after he hit a 31-ball 35 against T&T in the semifinal. Along the way, he also became the 16th man to score 50,000 runs in recognised cricket.

PREVIEW

The Champions League Twenty20 2013 will end with the same teams on the field as when the first match was played on September 21 - Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians. Just over two weeks on, it's Rahul Dravid versus Sachin Tendulkar again in what is mostly likely to be the last time the two greats will be seen together on the field, pitted against each other.

But emotions aside, it's a match that promises to be engrossing - a clash of styles, a clash of team character.

Mumbai and Rajasthan have played each other four times this year, and the honours have been even. Both won their home matches in IPL VI, Mumbai won the second IPL qualifier in Kolkata, and Rajasthan won the inaugural game of CLT20. That makes things look balanced, except that there's one factor to be accounted for: Rajasthan's CLT20 campaign has been entirely based in Jaipur - their fortress - while Mumbai have now won two games in two at Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi, where the final will also be played tonight.

It promises to be a super game of Twenty20 cricket. Rajasthan's has been a fairy-tale story that probably deserves a happy ending, if only for the men, led by Rahul Dravid, who have come out and given such a good account of themselves. But Mumbai have looked so, so good when they have been on song and should be, keeping everything in mind, the favourites to add the CLT20 trophy, which they also won in 2011, to the IPL title they won earlier this year.

SQUADS

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Ambati Rayudu, Aditya Tare, Rishi Dhawan, Abu Nechim, Akshar Patel, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Smith, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn Maxwell.

Rajasthan Royals: Rahul Dravid (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ashok Menaria, Dishant Yagnik (wicketkeeper), Vikramjeet Malik, Harmeet Singh, Rahul Shukla, Pravin Tambe, Shane Watson, Kusal Perera, James Faulkner, Kevon Cooper.

CLT20: Sachin Tendulkar first Indian to reach 50,000 runs in all formats

Sachin becomes the 16th player ever to reach this landmark in the sport and is the first player from Asia to do so.

In Mumbai Indians' semi-final against Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday, Sachin Tendulkar reached another landmark by completing an astounding 50,000 runs in competitive cricket across all formats.

Needing 26 runs on the day to reach the mark, Tendulkar tucked the ball towards midwicket for a single off left-arm spinner Yannick Ottley to reach another milestone in a glorious career spanning close to two-and-a-half decades.

He scored 35 off 31 balls before being dismissed by Lendl Simmons.

Tendulkar now has 50009 runs in 953 competitive matches, which includes 551 List A matches, 307 First-class matches and 95 T20 games.

Tendulkar has so far scored 25,228 runs in 307 First-class matches, including a staggering 15,837 runs in 198 Tests.

The 40-year-old has 21,999 runs in 551 List A matches which includes 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs.

Having scored 2747 in the 94 earlier T20 matches, the Master Blaster scored the necessary 26 runs with ease.

Tendulkar has had an ordinary 2013 CLT20 tournament till the semifinals and could score only 20 runs in four matches with a highest score of only 15. (Mumbai beat Trinidad, enter final)

Sachin is also standing on the cusp of another rare feat of becoming the first player in the history of the game to play 200 Test matches, which in all likelihood will be completed in the upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies.

CLT20: I want my spinners to do an 'Eric Hollies' on Sachin Tendulkar, says Justin Langer

Hollies, an English leg-spinner was best known for having bowled Sir Don Bradman for a duck with a googly in latter's last ever Test match and Perth Scorchers coach Justin Langer is hoping that one among his spinners could pull off something similar when the Indian maestro comes out to bat.

 It's no secret that Australian cricketers over the years have respected Sachin Tendulkar more than anyone of his peers but when Perth Scorchers take on Mumbai Indians in a Champions League T20 match on Wednesday, coach Justin Langer would like one of his bowlers do an "Eric Hollies" to the Indian legend.

Hollies, an English leg-spinner was best known for having bowled Sir Don Bradman for a duck with a googly in latter's last ever Test match and Perth Scorchers coach Justin Langer is hoping that one among his spinners could pull off something similar when the Indian maestro comes out to bat.

"I hope we have a Hollies in our team tomorrow when we bowl to Sachin. Hollies wasn't that the name?" Perth Scorchers coach Langer smiled and asked the scribes to confirm the name of the English leggie.

"Well, I love watching Sachin bat and wish he never gets out. But tomorrow, I won't like him to score too many runs. Even at this age of 42 (40), he batted in the nets for two hours the other day. That was incredible," said Langer, who has played many times against Tendulkar, in Test matches in India and Down Under.

For Langer, "the toughest test for any Aussie cricketer is playing India in India."

"I would like my boys to take up the challenge of playing against superstars. This is an inexperienced side and they will learn a lot from this trip. Look at Otago Volts. They have come here three times and now it's showing results."

"They have to face a trouble-maker like Harbhajan. Well, please don't make a controversy when I term Harbhajan as a trouble-maker. I mean he is a guy who would always like to have a competition or two with us over the years."

Not having a full strength side has been Scorchers' undoing during this season.

"We didn't have Marsh brothers -- Shaun and Mitch -- due to injury. We didn't have Pat Cummins while Nathan Coultier-Nile and Mitchell Johnson decided to play for Mumbai Indians. So we had a side that was very thin on experience. But that's no excuse. The first match was washed out due to heavy rains and we played poorly in the next two matches. If we hadn't dropped a couple of crucial catches, the matches could have swung in our favour."

Langer admitted that they were in for a bit of a surprise after having a look at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium strip which offered a lot of movement and bounce.

"We packed our sides with four spinners and then found out that Jaipur track had a lot of pace and bounce. We didn't have Cummins and that became a factor,"