Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar paid a heartfelt tribute to his late childhood coach, Ramakant Achrekar, on the occasion of Guru Purnima by sharing an emotional message on X on Wednesday, July 29. Along with four nostalgic pictures, the legendary India batter expressed gratitude to the mentor who played a defining role in shaping both his cricketing career and personal life.

Reflecting on Achrekar Sir’s influence, Tendulkar wrote, “Standing here today, I realised something. No matter how many years pass, I’ll always feel like I have one more ‘thank you’ left to say. Thank you for believing in me, guiding me, and helping me become the person I am. Happy Guru Purnima, Achrekar Sir.”

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Before becoming one of the greatest cricketers in history, Tendulkar honed his skills under Achrekar’s guidance at Mumbai’s iconic Shivaji Park. He trained alongside future India batter Vinod Kambli and former domestic stalwart Amol Muzumdar, with Achrekar laying the foundation for his extraordinary journey.

Standing here today, I realised something. No matter how many years pass, I’ll always feel like I have one more ‘thank you’ left to say.

Thank you for believing in me, guiding me, and helping me become the person I am.

Happy Guru Purnima, Achrekar Sir. pic.twitter.com/PzgaXztl1s

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) July 29, 2026

Tendulkar made his international debut at just 16 years of age in November 1989 and went on to enjoy a remarkable 24-year career for India before retiring in November 2013. During that period, he played 664 international matches, including a record 200 Test appearances and 463 ODIs. He amassed 15,921 Test runs and 18,426 ODI runs, making him the highest run-scorer in the history of both formats. He also remains the leading century-maker in international cricket.

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The Master Blaster ended his illustrious international career after his 200th Test against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. One of the defining moments of his career came in 2011 when he fulfilled his lifelong dream of lifting the ODI World Cup, having also been India’s leading run-scorer during the 2003 runners-up campaign.

While Tendulkar also captained India in Tests and ODIs, his greatest impact came as a batter. His son, Arjun Tendulkar, has followed in his footsteps as a professional cricketer and currently represents Goa in domestic cricket and the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.