• Home
  • Player Stories
  • 33 Years Ago When A 17 Year Old Sachin Bagged His Maiden Player Of The Match Award

33 Years Ago, When A 17-Year-Old Sachin Bagged His Maiden 'Player Of The Match' Award

image-lprz22buSachin Tendulkar (Twitter)

Tuesday (December 5) is a special day in Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar's great life as it was today 33 years back that the legendary cricketer bagged his maiden 'Player of the Match' trophy in ODIs. 

The maestro showcased his brilliance as a youngster in an all-round performance during an ODI played against Sri Lanka in the year 1990 in Pune and was duly awarded the individual honour for his resounding contribution to India's victory. 

Only a year old in international cricket back then after bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old teenage childhood prodigy, Tendulkar had already established himself in the side in Tests and ODIs when he dominated the Lankan Lions in home turf during the side's six-wicket triumph. 

Pivotal to the balance of then Mohammad Azharuddin-led Indian side, Tendulkar first delivered a critical nine-over spell for figures of 2 for 39, featuring the wickets of Sri Lanka's well-set opening batters Roshan Mahanama and Dammika Ranatunga. 


When Tendulkar Bagged Maiden 'Player Of the Match' 

During that innings, the 17-year-old also showcased his athleticism in the field with two brilliant catches to help dismiss the middle-order duo of Asanka Gurusinha and Rumesh Ratnayake besides executing the run-out of great Arjuna Ranatunga. 

Tendulkar played a major role in India restricting the Sri Lankans to 227/8 in their 50 overs and was intrumental to the run-chase, too, with his magnificent knock of 53 off just 41 deliveries. When the scoring rate above 6-7 was unheard of, Tendulkar played his knock at a strike rate of 129.26 after walking in at No.5. 



His blitz featured 7 fours and a standalone maximum and ensured India completed the target and victory inside 46 overs with only four wickets down. The great man earned the most deserving of maiden individual prize at the international stage and finished his glorious 24-year career with the most 'Player of the Match' trophies. He won the title 62 times in One-Day Internationals alone.