India's batting stalwart, Sachin Tendulkar has retired from One Day Internationals with 463 ODIs and 18,426 runs to his name. The diminutive right-hander ended with a record 49 centuries in the 50 over format. Sachin said in a statement thathe is retiring as he has fulfilledhis dream of helping India win the World Cup and stressed that the preparation to defend the Cup must begin. "I have decided to retire from the One Day format of the game," he said in a statement. "I feel blessed to have fulfilled the dream of being part of a World Cup wining Indian team. The preparatory process to defend the World Cup in 2015 should begin early and in right earnest. I would like to wish the team all the very best for the future. I am eternally grateful to all my well wishers for their unconditional support and love over the years."Tendulkar quits the ODI format with the most number of runs, hundreds and matches to his name. The 39 year old announced his retirement with amid speculation that he would play the ODIs against arch-rivals Pakistan and England. His last ODI appearance was earlier this year in the Asia Cup against Pakistan in Dhaka, he had contributed to the Indian win with a fifty. Incidentally, his first ODI appearance also was against Pakistan - way back in 1989 in Karachi where he failed to trouble the scorers. Since then, the Little Master has set the world alight with his scintillating stroke-play, often making Team India look twice as dangerous as they really were. He struggled for consistency till he was moved up the order and asked to open. He scored his first ton for India in his 79th ODI and has racked up the hundreds and broke records with amazing regularity since then. He also became the first player ever to score a double hundred in ODIs when he smashed Proteas at Gwalior enroute the record. He was also one of the leading men in India's performances in World Cups, having top-scored in 1996 and 2003 where he led India to semi-finals and the finals respectively. He also played a huge part in his last World Cup when he helped India to their greatest triumph in ODIs since 1983. Since the WC triumph in 2011, Sachin has featured in only 2 series - CB series in Australia and the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. Even though Sachin has not been a regular member in the ODI squads of late, Sachin's decision to stop playing ODIs will leave a huge hole at the top of the order and one that might take years to fill.
- Sajan Gupta
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