On April 24, 2023, one of the greatest batsmen to have played the sport of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, celebrated his 50th birthday.
Over his long and rich career, Tendulkar has collected not only many records but also many nicknames, each with a story of their own which signify his journey from an unknown young lad to the greatest batsman India has seen.
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Here are all of the nicknames the "little master" has acquired over time.
List: Popular nicknames of Sachin Tendulkar
- Tendu
- Tendliya
- The Little Master
- The Master Blaster
- The God of Cricket
- The Bradman of modern era
- Ten (10)
- Paaji
- Batku
Why is Tendulkar called "Tendu"?
The nickname "Tendu" was given to Tendulkar by his teammates when he made his debut for India at the young age of 16, due to his short stature.
Why is Tendulkar called "Tendlya"?
"Tendlya" was a nickname given to Tendulkar by the Marathi contingent of the Indian national team during the early part of his career.
Why is Tendulkar called the "Little Master"?
The "Little Master" is a nickname Tendulkar has inherited from his predecessor Sunil Gavaskar. Both batsmen while small in stature, gave the opposition team a tough time through their excellent batting.
Why is Tendulkar called the "Master Blaster"?
Tendulkar began to acquire the nickname of "Master Blaster" as he broke various records and made new ones. In particular, an ad campaign with MRF tires helped popularise the nickname.
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Why is Tendulkar called the "God of Cricket"?
The "God of Cricket" is another nickname given to Tendulkar by Indian fans. The pure emotion and devotion that Tendulkar commanded from his fans was one of the reasons this nickname came to be. It also helped that he set and broke all sorts of records over his long career.
Why is Tendulkar called the "Bradman of modern era"?
West Indies cricketer Brian Lara, another great batsman, gave Tendulkar this nickname. A huge admirer of the "Little Master", Lara often compared him with the great Sir Don Bradman. However, Don Bradman himself once said Sachin reminds him of himself.
Why is Tendulkar called "10 (ten)"?
This nickname of Tendulkar originates from the iconic jersey no.10 he donned while playing for India.
Why is Tendulkar called "Paaji"?
Former teammate Harbhajan Singh used to call Tendulkar "paaji" (meaning big brother in Punjabi) and soon the name picked up amongst his other colleagues as well.
Why is Tendulkar called "Batku"?
This is a nickname of Tendulkar's many may not be fond of as it was given to him by bookies, a codename referring to his small height.