BCCI Awards: Lifetime award for Sachin Tendulkar, Bumrah is best men's cricketer

Sachin Tendulkar receives Lifetime Achievement Award, Jasprit Bumrah wins Best Men's International Cricketer, Smriti Mandhana excels in 2023-24.

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar, whose batting records and impact on international cricket have stood the test of time, was on Saturday conferred with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, while current India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was honoured with the Polly Umrigar Award for Best Men's International Cricketer of 2023-24.

The 51-year-old Tendulkar, who played 664 international games for India, holds the record for the highest number of Test and ODI runs in the history of the game.

"Deeply honoured to receive the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. My cricketing journey, which spanned 24 years was never mine alone. It belonged to every coach’s guidance, every teammate’s trust, every fan’s unwavering support and my family’s belief, love and sacrifices," Tendulkar tweeted.

"This award is a reminder to keep giving back to the sport and the people that gave me everything. To the @BCCI and every cricket lover: thank you for letting me bat for India with an open heart and limitless boundaries."

From his debut as a 16-year-old prodigy to becoming the first batsman to score a double century in ODIs, Tendulkar’s journey was one of relentless pursuit of excellence and remains the only cricketer to have featured in 200 Tests.

“Always value your game and take care of your game. I realised on that final day (2013) that I will never walk onto the field as a current India cricketer. Similarly, once you retire then you will realise where you were a few years ago," Tendulkar said during the BCCI's annual awards function.

“So enjoy your game as you have a lot of cricket left in you as current India cricketers and stay away from distractions,” added the Mumbaikar, who has scored 100 international centuries and 34,357 international runs in his career.