1988
As a schoolboy scores a century in every innings he plays, including a then record partnership for a Lord Harris Shiled inter-school match of 664 with his friend Vinod Kambli.
On December 11 (aged 15 years and 232 days) makes 100 not out on his first-class debut for Mumbai against Gujarat, the youngest player to score a century on his first-class debut.
1989
Becomes the youngest player to play at Test level for India, at just 16 years and 205 days. It was against Pakistan in Karachi.
1990
Becomes the second youngest player to score a Test century when he hits a match-saving 119 on India’s tour of England at the age of 17 years and 112 days. He finished the series with an average of 61.25.
1991
Becomes the youngest player to score a century on Australian soil with a mammoth 148 in Sydney.He followed it up with a ton at Perth, a century which he ranks as one of his best ever.
1992
Sachin is the first batsman to be declared run out by a third umpire against South Africa.
At 19 he becomes the youngest player to score 1,000 test runs, during India's tour of South Africa.
Becomes first overseas-born player to represent Yorkshire in the English County Championship. He scores 1,070 runs in 16 matches.
1993
Scores his first Test century at home, in Madras, hitting 24 fours and a six in his 165 during a thrashing of England.With South Africa needing just six to win off the final over in the Hero Cup semi-final, his bowling comes to the fore as he concedes only 3 runs, giving India victory.
1994
Opens an ODI innings for the first time, scoring 82 off 49 balls.
Scores his first One-Day century on September 9 against Australia in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Receives Arjuna Award for achievements in cricket.
1995
Signs a then record sports management deal with Worldtel for 30 crore rupees over 5 years.
Rated the No.1 batsman in the world by the prestigious Coopers and Lybrands ratings.
1996
Is the leading run scorer at the World Cup, topping the batting averages (with 87.16) while scoring two centuries.
Appointed captain of Indian cricket team.
1997
Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
Receives India’s highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.
1998
Wins the Coopers and Lybrand Award for best Test Cricketer of the Year.
Scores centuries in three consecutive Tests against the touring Australians; two further centuries and a fifty give India a 2-1 Test series win.
Single-handedly wins ICC quarter-final against Australia by scoring 141 in 128 balls and taking 4 Australian wickets.
Involved in a world record opening stand with Sourav Ganguly of 252 runs off 44 overs.
Becomes the fifth player in ODI history to score 7,000 runs.
Meets Sir Donald Bradman in Adelaide on the occasion of the Australian batsman’s 90th birthday celebrations. Bradman considers Tendulkar to be the best batsman in the world.
Breaks the record for ODI centuries by scoring his 18th (127 not out) against Zimbabwe on September 26.
Chosen as the Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year Award.
Tops Amul Cricket Rankings.
1999
Receives Padma Shri, India’s civilian medal of recognition.
Makes highest score by an Indian in ODIs – 186 not out against New Zealand at Hyderabad.
Passes 5,000 runs in Test cricket during the First Test of the Asian Test Championship.
It’s his 67th Test and his average of 53.19 includes 18 centuries and 20 fifties.
Scores his 19th Test century and 23rd ODI hundred.
Replaces Azharuddin for his second stint as captain of India.
Scores his first test double century (217 against New Zealand).
2000
Scores his 25th ODI century and passes 9,000 runs in ODIs.
2001
Becomes the first batsman in the history of limited overs cricket to score 10,000 runs.
Equals Sir Donald Bradman’s record of 29 Test centuries when he scores 117 against the West Indies at the Port of Spain, Trinidad.
2002
On September 5, becomes the youngest player from any country to play in 100 Tests.
2003
Is the highest run scorer at the 2003 Cricket World Cup with 673 runs at an average of 61.18; he also wins the Player of the Tournament award.
In August he is voted the Greatest Sportsman of the Country in the sport personalities category in the Best of India poll conducted by Zee News.
While playing against Pakistan in the group match during 2003 World Cup, scores his 12,000th ODI run. No other player has scored more than 10,000 runs till date.
2004
Hits an unbeaten 241 in the Fourth Test against Australia in Sydney, his highest first-class score. Puts on 353 for the fourth wicket with V V S Laxman as India draw the Test series 1-1.
Wins the ICC World ODI XI.
Problems with tennis elbow surface causing him to miss the Champions Trophy and the first two Tests of the home series against Australia.
2005
Completes 13,000 runs in ODIs during the second one-dayer against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
Equals Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 34 tons in Test matches; by the end of the year he has broken it with a 109 against Sri Lanka in Delhi.
Becomes only the third player in history, after Gary Kirsten and Steve Waugh, to score centuries against all Test-playing nations.
Has elbow surgery which keeps him out for four months; scores 93 off 96 balls against Sri Lanka on his return.
Becomes fifth batsman in Test history to score 10,000 runs, during the second Test against Pakistan.
Equals former Pakistan all-rounder Wasim Akram’s record for ODI appearances by playing in his 356th match.
2006
Signs a contract with Saatchi and Saatchi’s Iconix, valued at 180 crores over 3 years, making him the highest-earning cricketer in the world.
Time magazine names him as one of their ‘Asian Heroes’.
Named Sports person of the Year.
Scoeres his 39th ODI hundred, in a match against Pakistan.
Plays his 132nd Test, the most by any Indian ever, at his home ground in Mumbai.
Goes to England for surgery on his right shoulder and misses one-dayers v England and Tour to West Indies.
Responds to questions about his longevity by scoring an unbeaten 141 off 148 balls in a DLF Cup match against the West Indies, giving him 18 more ODI tons than the players who are equal second on the list of ODI century-makers, Sourav Ganguly and Sanath Jayasuriya.
2007
Former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne names him at Number 1 on his list of 50 greatest cricketers ever.
ICC World ODI XI award to Sachin.
Scored a 76-ball century against the West Indies for his 41st ODI century. He reached a hundred on the last ball of the Indian innings.
Becomes the first batsman to make 1,000 runs in a calendar year on seven separate occasions.
Dismissed seven times during the year on scores between 90 and 100, including three times at 99.
Is rested for the ODI series against Bangladesh but returns to score centuries in two consecutive Test matches.
Announces a joint venture with the Fortune Group and Manipal Group to launch healthcare and sports fitness products under the brand name ‘S Drive and Sach’.
A series of comic books by Virgin Comics is due to be published featuring him as a superhero.
2008
Receives the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suggests Sachin should be conferred with an honorary knighthood for his contribution to international cricket.
Scores his first ODI century in Australia.
Becomes highest run-scorer in the history of Test cricket with 12,037.
He reaches this summit at 2.31pm on Friday, October 17 in Mohali when he steers debutant Peter Siddle to third man for three runs.