Share

Tendulkar 'not retiring yet'

New Delhi - India's batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar has said he is not ready to hang up his boots yet, amid growing speculation about his future following his long-awaited 100th international century.

"I still get goose bumps as I stand with my team-mates when the national anthem is on. I still feel the same passion when I pick up my bat and go out," Tendulkar said in an interview with India's Open magazine.

Tendulkar, who set a new record in his glittering two-decade career by completing an unprecedented century of centuries during the recent Asia Cup, said he would quit only when he felt "a little less passion" for the game.

"Critics haven't taught me my cricket and they don't know what my body and mind are up to. I can tell you that the day I feel a little less passion when I walk out to bat for India, I'll give up the game.

"Critics don't need to tell me to do so. I will come to them and say 'my time is up'. Till then, I'd not bother about these opinions."

India's cricket greats, including former captain Kapil Dev, talked about Tendulkar's retirement last month, at least from one-dayers, to prolong his Test career.

Dev said that it was time to ponder hard choices for Tendulkar.

"Maybe his time has come," Kapil said. "Every player has his time. Age is not on his side as it was earlier."

But Tendulkar, the world's leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, told Open magazine: "Retirement isn't something I am thinking about."

When asked whether he thought of quitting one-day cricket after India's World Cup triumph last year, the master batsman said "such a thought had never occurred" to him.

"A number of my friends have also asked me why I didn't retire from one-day cricket after winning the World Cup, they may well be right. It would indeed have been a grand exit," said Tendulkar, who turns 39 next month.

"But...my retirement was a non-issue, really. The World Cup was about India and I had no right to make it an event of my own.

"Had I announced my retirement soon after winning the trophy, the focus would have shifted from the Cup triumph to my retirement."

Tendulkar conceded that his 100th international hundred, against Bangladesh in Dhaka on March 16, was the most difficult.

"The hundredth 100 was the most difficult to get. I really don't know why, but it was," said Tendulkar, who now has 51 centuries in Tests and 49 in one-day internationals.

"Maybe because it had turned into a national obsession. Maybe because I wasn't able to escape talk of the hundredth 100 and it was affecting me at a subconscious level. Maybe God was trying me harder."

Tendulkar took more than a year to achieve the milestone. His 99th international ton came against South Africa in the World Cup at Nagpur on March 12 last year.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1169 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1362 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2070 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE