Sportsmen are role models and their on-field actions inspire millions of fans. Today, some of the most popular names include Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Michael Jordan and David Beckham. All of them are great sportsmen but how many of them live up to the expectations of a billion fans?

When Beckham fails to score for England it may upset millions of English people; when Woods fails to win a Major, tens of millions Americans get upset. But Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar stirs an entire nation. When he scores a century, a billion Indians erupt and when he fails, a billion hearts sink.

Ask the poorest of the poor in any part of India and he will have something to say about Tendulkar, even though he may not know anything about cricket.

'Sachin has the ability to sustain an incredible level of consistency with the hopes and aspiration of a country on his shoulders'


The famous quote: "If Cricket is Religion, Sachin is God" depicts how fans adore the little maestro. In a recent IPL match between Kolkotta and Mumbai, Indians at the 100,000-capacity Eden Gardens there was mad rush for tickets as everybody thought Sachin would be playing.

He is not only a role model for millions of Indians but also his team-mates who adore him. This is the level of popularity that he enjoys and shows how he is the most popular sportsman in the world. In spite of all the adulation, he remains a down-to-earth person free from controversy unlike other superstars.

Tendulkar talks with the bat, and therein lies his greatness. He has entertained a billion Indians over the past two decades and brought  sporting glory for the nation. His 11,782 Test runs in 147 matches have come at an impressive 55.33 including 39 centuries. and in the one-day game he has amassed 16,361 ODI runs, including 42 centuries, a world record.

These statistics alone make him a great sportsman. But his ability to sustain such an incredible level of consistency with the hopes and aspiration of a country on his shoulders, makes him the greatest sporting icon in the planet.