Considered ageless by fans, experts and contemporaries alike, iconic Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar turns 38 on Sunday completing another year punctuated by milestones and unprecedented highs - the most memorable being the World Cup triumph.
The champion batsman, who sits on such a huge pile of runs and records which any contemporary batsman would find nearly impossible to surpass, is not known to be flamboyant in his celebrations.
If he is not busy on the field, an intensely private Tendulkar prefers to blow out the candles in the company of just his two kids, wife Anjali and other family members.
But that would not be possible this year as he would be leading his franchise Mumbai Indians against Deccan Chargers in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Hyderabad on Sunday.
The glitz and glamour of IPL would ensure that high-profile celebrations with generous sprinkling of Bollywood stars and corporate bigwigs would greet Tendulkar, who got his biggest gift weeks before the big day. The trophy might have been lifted first by Mahendra Singh Dhoni after the final on April 2 but much before India won it, the members of the World Cup squad were falling over each other to dedicate it to Tendulkar, who was making his sixth and perhaps final appearance in the mega event.
Tendulkar had played five World Cups before this edition but never been a part of the winning squad. His dream was finally fulfilled when his teammates carried him on their shoulders for a lap of honour.
