A look at Sachin Tendulkar's immortal World Cup legacy

For any Indian or Pakistani cricketer, no match generates as much hype as one against their arch-rivals. When this match happens to be a World Cup match, the frenzy of cricket crazy fans knows no bounds. No matter how much they try and play it down, no other match even comes close to the pressure that an encounter between India and Pakistan carries.On Sunday, the 15th of February, the traditional arch-rivals begin their World Cup 2015 campaigns against each other in what is expected to be a capacity crowd of 53,000 at the Adelaide Oval. It will be the 6th occasion when the two Asian giants face off in World Cups. It will also be the first time in 23 years that Sachin Tendulkar will not be a part of an India-Pakistan clash at the mega event. The jury is out on whether or not India will be able to continue its winning streak, but one thing is certain - India will miss their favourite son. Of the 5 previous India-Pakistan clashes in World Cups, Sachin was the Man of the Match on 3 occasions.Tendulkar brought out his best against the arch-rivals from across the border, but it was not just them. He had this habit of raising his game in ICC’s pinnacle event. “Couldn't have asked for something bigger than this. I think winning the World Cup is the biggest thing and I am experiencing it. It's the proudest moment of my life,” said the “Little Master” after finally laying his hands on the coveted trophy in his 6th and last attempt. No surprise, then, that Tendulkar happens to be the most successful batsman in World Cups, a tournament that meant so much to him.The 41-year-old scored 6 hundreds and 15 fifties, winning 9 Man of the Match awards in the process, each one being a World Cup record. He scored 2278 runs in 44 World Cup innings, averaging 56.95 and striking at 88.98.Sachin Tendulkar's batting record MatchesInningsNORunsHSBatting Avg.SR100s50sWorld Cup45444227815256.9588.93615Overall Career4634524118426200*44.8386.234996Here’s a detailed look at Tendulkar’s 6 World Cup campaigns:

#1 World Cup 1992 - Australia and New Zealand

Sachin made his World Cup debut against England at the WACA in Perth, one of the fastest pitches in the world. He scored 35 runs and bowled 10 wicketless overs in his maiden appearance for India in the World Cup. India fell short by 9 runs in the end, but Tendulkar truly had arrived.

Tendulkar scored a fighting 54 not out to help India beat Pakistan, thereby earning the Man of the Match award. However, India failed to qualify for the knockout stages whereas Pakistan went on to win the showpiece event.

His other notable innings during the tournament included his 81 against Zimbabwe and 84 against New Zealand.

Sachin Tendulkar - 1992 World Cup stats

Matches	Innings	NO	Runs	HS	Batting Avg.	SR	100s	50s
8	7	1	283	84	47.16	84.73	0	3

#2 World Cup 1996 India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

The 1996 World Cup was special in many ways because it was the first time Tendulkar got an opportunity to play in front of the home crowd at a world event. By this time, he had made the opener’s slot his own. In his very first innings of the tournament, he slammed the first of his six centuries in World Cups.

He later scored another century against Sri Lanka, the eventual world champions. His dismissal in the semi-finals against the Lankans triggered the start of a batting collapse, which brought India’s World Cup to an abrupt end. Sachin ended the tournament as the highest run-getter, with 523 runs at an average of 87.16.

Sachin Tendulkar - 1996 World Cup stats

Matches	Innings	NO	Runs	HS	Batting Avg.	SR	100s	50s
7	7	1	523	137	87.16	85.87	2	3

#3 World Cup 1999 England

The 1999 World Cup was probably the most difficult one for Tendulkar, having had to cope with the loss of his father in the middle of the tournament. India could not reach the knockout stages, after fatal defeats to Australia and Zimbabwe, but Tendulkar’s innings of 140* on his return from India, which pulverised Kenya, will forever remain etched in every cricket lover’s mind.

Sachin Tendulkar - 1999 World Cup stats

Matches	Innings	NO	Runs	HS	Batting Avg.	SR	100s	50s
7	7	1	253	140*	42.16	90.03	1	0

#4 World Cup 2003 South Africa

The 2003 World Cup in South Africa was the closest Tendulkar had come to winning the coveted trophy till that time, and he played a big role in India making it to the finals with a tournament tally of 673 runs at an average of 61.18, the highest by any batsman in a single tournament till date.

His match-winning 98 against Pakistan at Centurion is considered one of the best World Cup innings till date. It was also his second Man of the Match performance against Pakistan in a World Cup.

The then 29-year-old ended up being the Man of the Tournament, a consolation for finishing second best in the final against Australia.

Sachin Tendulkar - 2003 World Cup stats

Matches	Innings	NO	Runs	HS	Batting Avg.	SR	100s	50s
11	11	0	673	152	61.18	89.25	1	6

#5 World Cup 2007 West Indies

The 2007 edition of the World Cup in the West Indies has to be Tendulkar’s and India’s worst campaign in the flagship event. Sachin was moved to No.4 from his favourite opening slot by the then coach, Greg Chappell. Despite having a formidable line-up, India lost 2 out of their 3 matches in the group stages including the infamous upset caused by Bangladesh and were, in turn, ousted from the World Cup. Sachin’s pursuit of winning the World Cup continued.

Sachin Tendulkar - 2007 World Cup stats

Matches	Innings	NO	Runs	HS	Batting Avg.	SR	100s	50s
3	3	1	64	57*	32	110.3	0	1

#6 World Cup 2011 India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

The much-decorated career of Tendulkar still did not have the tag of “World Cup champion” next to his name till this point. It changed in the 2011 World Cup as India became the first team in 36 years to win the World Cup on home soil.

Sachin, as expected, played a pivotal role as he smashed 482 runs at an average of 53.55 in the tournament, thereby becoming the second highest run-getter in the tournament. He slammed two centuries against South Africa and England, bringing his final tally of centuries in World Cups to 6.

The most memorable innings of his, probably, was the 85 he scored against Pakistan in the semi-finals, in a match where the second highest score from India was 36. It was his third Man of the Match winning performance against the neighbours.

Sachin Tendulkar - 2011 World Cup stats

Matches	Innings	NO	Runs	HS	Batting Avg.	SR	100s	50s
9	9	0	482	120	53.55	91.98	2	2

This is the first time in 23 years that India will start their World Cup campaign without Sachin, and there isn’t an iota of doubt that India is going to miss the legend in the ICC’s pinnacle event.