Sachin Tendulkar has been awarded honorary membership by the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC). The Indian cricket legend’s recognition was officially announced today via the club’s social media channels.
MCC stated, “We are honored to recognize an icon. MCC is delighted to announce that former Indian captain Sachin Tendulkar has accepted honorary cricket membership in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the game.”
Established in 1838, MCC is Australia’s oldest sports club, responsible for managing, maintaining, and developing the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The venue is currently hosting the Boxing Day Test between Australia and India.
Over his illustrious two-decade-long international career, Tendulkar played five Test matches and seven ODIs at the MCG, scoring 639 runs at an average of nearly 40 across 17 innings. His record includes one century and five fifties. His 449 Test runs at the venue remain the highest by any Indian batsman.
Tendulkar, the only player in cricket history to play 200 Tests, also featured in 463 ODIs and one T20I, amassing a staggering 34,357 runs to top the all-time international run-scorers list.
This isn’t the first time Tendulkar has received honorary membership from a prestigious club. Since 2012, he has been a lifetime member of Sydney Cricket Club, another highly regarded institution in Australia. In 2014, he was made an honorary member of England’s Yorkshire Cricket Club. Additionally, Tendulkar became a lifetime member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the custodians of cricket’s laws, in 2010.
The Australian government has also recognized Tendulkar’s extraordinary contributions to cricket. In 2012, he was awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the “Order of Australia.”
