Alltime Great Steps Out

Sachin Tendulkar (SI, May 10, 2004), the greatest cricketer in the history of cricket-mad India, announced that he will retire after a November series against the West Indies, which will include his 200th international test match. Known as the Little Master, Tendulkar, 40, is the only man to record 100 individual scores of 100 in international tests. He arrived on the scene in 1989 and led India to the 2011 World Cup title, along the way becoming the sport's highest-paid athlete, although he now ranks second with a reported $22 million in 2013. He could make more, but he famously refuses to endorse alcohol or tobacco. His 24-year career spearheaded a rise in Indian cricket that paralleled the country's emergence as an economic and political power.

PHOTO

BOB MARTIN/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (TENDULKAR)