Sachin Tendulkar Pays Emotional Tribute to His Late Father with a Century Against Kenya
In the middle of the 1999 ODI World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar got the kind of news that stops you in your tracks — his dad passed away on May 19. He was heartbroken and flew back to India to say his final goodbyes and handle the last rites.
Most people would’ve needed time to process, but Sachin, being Sachin, came back to England to rejoin the team. On May 23, he stepped onto the field against Kenya, carrying all that grief and love in his heart. What he did next was pure magic — 140 runs off just 101 balls, every boundary and six feeling like a tribute to his father and You could almost see the emotion in every swing of his bat and it’s no wonder fans call him the God of Cricket and India kicked off the match with fire, and Sachin’s innings turned it into something no one who watched will ever forget.
India vs Kenya: 23rd May 1999
During the 1999 ODI World Cup, India played Kenya in a group stage match at Bristol, England, on May 23, 1999. India won the toss and chose to bat as they scored 329 runs for 2 wickets in 50 overs, with a run rate of 6.58. Sachin Tendulkar led with 140 runs off 101 balls, hitting 16 fours and 3 sixes, at a strike rate of 138.61. He reached his fifty in 43 balls and a century in 84 balls. Tendulkar was out in the 37th over, caught by David Obuya off Thomas Odoyo, who took 1 wicket for 67 runs in 10 overs, with an economy of 6.70.
Tendulkar scored 28 runs off Martin Suji’s 18 balls, including 4 fours, smashing boundaries with ease. Rahul Dravid scored 104 not out off 109 balls, with 9 fours, at a strike rate of 95.41. He got his fifty in 61 balls and century in 104 balls, scoring 24 runs off Steve Tikolo’s 10 overs, which went for 61 runs, economy 6.10, without a wicket. Tendulkar and Dravid put on 237 runs for the second wicket over 35 overs, scoring at 6.77 runs per over. Sourav Ganguly made 29 runs off 34 balls, with 4 fours, at a strike rate of 62. 85.29. He was caught by David Obuya off Martin Suji in the 13th over.
Sachin's Most Emotional Hundred
— CrickeTendulkar (@CrickeTendulkar) May 23, 2020
Sachin Lost His Father During WC 1999, he Came Back for his Father's Funeral.Without Sachin India Lost Vs Zim💔
Sachin's Mother Said- GO & PLAY for ur Country🇮🇳@sachin_rt Came back in 3 days Made 140* V Kenya & INDIA WONhttps://t.co/LsBhrnI3ip
Suji took 1 wicket for 53 runs in 10 overs, with an economy of 5.30, making him Kenya’s best bowler. Sadagoppan Ramesh scored 6 runs off 12 balls and was caught by Kennedy Otieno off Suji in the 3rd over. Ajay Jadeja scored 29 not out off 25 balls, with 3 fours, at a strike rate of 116.00 and he and Dravid added 48 runs in the last 5 overs, pushing the score higher. India scored 161 runs in the first 25 overs at 6.44 runs per over and 168 runs in the next 25 overs at 6.72 runs per over. The team hit 29 fours and 4 sixes, while Kenya bowled 12 wides and 4 no-balls, adding 16 extra runs.
Aasif Karim gave away 63 runs in 10 overs, economy 6.30, and Joseph Angara conceded 70 runs in 10 overs, economy 7.00. Alpesh Vadher bowled 1 over for 7 runs, economy 7.00. Kenya’s fielding was poor, dropping three catches and Tendulkar at 62 off Suji, Dravid at 45 off Tikolo, and Ganguly at 15 off Odoyo. These mistakes let India build a huge total.
#OnThisDay in the 1999, Sachin Tendulkar scored a magnificent 140 in the @cricketworldcup match against Kenya, which India won by 94 runs 🔥
— ICC (@ICC) May 23, 2020
His 101-ball knock consisted of 1️⃣6️⃣ fours and 3️⃣ sixes 👏 pic.twitter.com/qZ2ohpZY41
India’s batsmen walked onto a pitch that was practically begging for runs — flat and friendly. They hit the ground running, smashing 88 runs in the powerplay (those first 15 overs) at a lively clip of nearly 6 runs an over. By the time the last 10 overs (41-50) rolled around, they were in overdrive, piling on 92 runs at a blazing 9.20 runs per over. The scoreboard kept ticking with 186 singles, 32 twos, and 8 threes — busy running between the wickets. Sachin Tendulkar soaked up 68 dot balls, and Rahul Dravid faced 49, showing they could bide their time before unleashing. They got the boundary with 8 fours in the first 10 overs and went wild with 12 in the last 10.
Kenya, tasked with chasing a mammoth 330, fought hard but finished at 235 for 7 in their 50 overs, managing a run rate of 4.70. Kennedy Otieno gave them a solid start, carving out 39 runs off 62 balls with 5 crisp fours, keeping his strike rate at a decent level. 62.90. He hung in there until the 19th over when Anil Kumble’s spin tricked him, and Nayan Mongia whipped off the bails for a stumping. Ravindu Shah was the star for Kenya, grafting his way to 70 off 92 balls, with 7 fours and a six, at a strike rate of 62. 76.09. But Kumble struck again in the 27th over, and Sourav Ganguly snapped up a sharp catch to end Shah’s fight. Despite their heart, Kenya just couldn’t keep up with the mountain of runs India had piled up, falling well short in the chase.
#OnThisDay 21 years ago, after completing his father’s last rites, @sachin_rt flew back to 🏴 and scored a fantastic 140 against 🇰🇪 at the 1999 @cricketworldcup!
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) May 23, 2020
From this day, the Master Blaster made it a habit to look up to the heavens every time he completed a milestone 💯👌 pic.twitter.com/5f8zXaRtFD
Their opening partnership of 62 runs took 18.3 overs at 3.35 runs per over, giving Kenya a steady start. Steve Tikolo scored 33 runs off 49 balls, with 4 fours, at a strike rate of 67.35, before being caught by Rahul Dravid off Debasis Mohanty in the 33rd over and Maurice Odumbe made 21 runs off 38 balls, with 2 fours, and was bowled by Javagal Srinath in the 37th over. Hitesh Modi contributed 25 runs off 42 balls, with 2 fours, at a strike rate of 59.52, dismissed by Kumble in the 39th over.
Alpesh Vadher scored 0 off 2 balls, caught off Kumble’s bowling. Thomas Odoyo provided a late boost, scoring 35 runs off 29 balls, with 3 fours and 1 six, at a strike rate of 120.69, before being run out by Ajay Jadeja in the 47th over. David Obuya finished with 12 not out off 18 balls, hitting 1 four, and Martin Suji scored 8 not out off 10 balls, with 1 four. Kenya scored 112 runs in the first 25 overs at 4.48 runs per over and 123 runs in the next 25 overs at 4.92 runs per over. The team hit 20 fours and 2 sixes, while India bowled 7 wides and 3 no-balls, adding 10 extra runs.
Anil Kumble was the star of India’s bowling attack, leading the charge with a brilliant performance. He took 3 wickets for just 28 runs in his 10 overs, maintaining a stingy economy rate of 2.80. Kumble dismissed Otieno, Shah, and Vadher, using his spin to keep Kenya’s batsmen guessing. Javagal Srinath chipped in with 1 wicket for 39 runs in his 10 overs, at an economy of 3.90, removing Odumbe. Debasis Mohanty also claimed 1 wicket, that of Tikolo, but went for 46 runs in his 10 overs, with an economy of 4.60. Venkatesh Prasad and Nikhil Chopra bowled tightly but went wicketless, conceding 41 and 38 runs respectively in their 10 overs, with economies of 4.10 and 3.80.
India’s fielding was on point, with two catches, a stumping, and a sharp run-out by Jadeja. The powerplay (overs 1-15) was disciplined, with Kenya managing only 54 runs at 3.60 runs per over. In contrast, the final 10 overs (41-50) saw Kenya push harder, scoring 58 runs at 5.80 runs per over, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the climbing required run rate. After the 30th over, the asking rate shot above 8 runs per over, making the chase increasingly steep.
#OnThisDay 23/5/1999 (Sunday)@sachin_rt Scored 140* (101b, 16 4s, 3 6s) vs Kenya at Bristol
— S H E B A S (@Shebas_10) May 23, 2019
This Was the Emotional Knock by Sachin, Bcoz Before 3days Sachin Lost His Father
Her Mother Said "You Have To Go And Play For Your Country, Because That Is Most Important Thing" pic.twitter.com/8LxKeJSseD
Kenya’s innings relied heavily on 145 singles, while they faced 28 dot balls, with Shah alone surviving 42 dots, reflecting their cautious approach. They scored 84 runs from boundaries, 80 from fours, and 12 from sixes, with 6 boundaries in the first 10 overs and 8 in the last over. 10. Despite a flat pitch, India’s tight bowling, especially Kumble’s spin, choked Kenya’s scoring. The middle order struggled to accelerate, and losing key players like Shah and Tikolo derailed their chase. Even with a late flourish from Odoyo, Kenya fell well short of India’s massive total.
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