Sachin Tendulkar: Legendary Indian cricketer releases debut single | CNN

Sachin Tendulkar has released his debut single as a "special tribute" to his former teammates.

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The end of an era —

Sachin Tendulkar ended his record-breaking cricket career following his 200th Test match, against the West Indies in his home city of Mumbai in November 2013.

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The Little Master —

Indian painter Jagjot Singh Rubal touches up his painting of Tendulkar.

100 hundreds —

Tendulkar became the first man in cricket history to score 100 international hundreds when he made 114 in a limited-overs match against Bangladesh on March 16, 2012.

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Prime player —

Tendulkar visited the residence of Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, right, to mark his achievement.

India's first World Cup title —

He had been stuck on 99 since the 2011 World Cup, when he closed to within one of the milestone with a ton against South Africa. Tendulkar helped India win the final against co-hosts Sri Lanka in his home city of Mumbai on April 2. He scored only 18 in that match, but was India's top runscorer as his country won the 50-over tournament for the first time.

An agonizing wait —

Cricket fans had been waiting for the milestone, which came 33 innings after the South Africa game. Tendulkar went close during India's disappointing tour of Australia -- against whom he has scored 20 tons, more than any other nation.

Test best —

Tendulkar is the first and only player in cricket history to score 15,000 Test match runs, achieving the feat in November 2011.

Teen prodigy —

Having scored a triple century as a schoolboy, and then passing 100 on his first-class debut in 1988, Tendulkar made his international debut the following year at the age of 16 against Pakistan.

First of many to come —

Tendulkar scored his first international century in the five-day format the following year on India's tour of England, hitting 119 not out in the second Test at Old Trafford.

The greatest? —

Debate still rages as to whether Tendulkar can be considered greater than Australian legend Donald Bradman, whose Test career ended in 1948 with an incredible average of 99.94, scoring 6,996 runs in 52 matches.

Passing a legend —

England's players applaud after Tendulkar scores 193 in Leeds in 2002, passing Bradman's record of 29 Test centuries. He has now played 188 Tests, notching 51 hundreds.

Lara's landmark falls —

Tendulkar, left, became Test cricket's highest runscorer in October 2008 when he passed Brian Lara's previous record of 11,953 during a home series against Australia.

Run machine —

Tendulkar became the first batsman to score 17,000 runs in one-day internationals with a knock of 175 against Australia in Hyderabad on November 5, 2009.

Tendulkar's 200 —

Tendulkar's next foray into three figures saw him become the first batsman to score 200 in a 50-over international -- against South Africa on February 25, 2010. Indian schoolchildren in Amritsar celebrated their national hero's landmark feat.

Sachin Tendulkar retires from cricket

Story highlights

Tendulkar releases first single

Former cricketer retired in 2013

He is regarded as an all-time great

CNN —

He is more known for breaking records than making them, so perhaps it was always inevitable that a man accustomed to topping the charts during his sporting career is now attempting to be No.1 in the music world.

Sachin Tendulkar, known as “The Little Master” and regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history, has released a single called “Cricket Wali Beat.”

The 43-year-old, worshiped in cricket-loving India, has formed what he will hope to be a hit partnership with renowned Indian performer Sonu Nigam.

Former India captain Tendulkar said on his Facebook page that the song was a “special tribute” to the cricketers he had played with at previous cricket World Cups.

Will the tune bowl fans over? The early signs are good – the song’s video has already been viewed over two million times on YouTube while the ex-cricketer’s Facebook post, informing his fans of his latest catchy number, has been shared over 5,000 times.

Record breaker

No one-hit wonder on the cricket field, Tendulkar – who made his international debut aged 16 – captained India to World Cup glory in 2011.

India’s favorite cricketing son is the only player to score 100 international centuries, is the first to hit a double century in a one-day International – a shortened 50-over version of the game – and is the only man to score more than 30,000 runs in international cricket.

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Tendulkar is not the first sportsperson to turn his hand to music.

Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal reached a career-high No.8 in the US charts and even released a rap album.

Former boxer Oscar De La Hoya was nominated for a Grammy in 2001 in the “Best Latin Pop Album” category and in Britain footballers have been attempting to hit the right notes for decades.