Sachin’s Unbelievable Moment: Fielding for Pakistan, Almost Caught Kapil Dev’s Catch

Sachin Tendulkar turns 53 today on April 24, a day which recalls the glorious emergence of arguably one of cricket's greatest ever batter. The master blaster was born on April 24, 1973 in Mumbai, and at a young age he displayed some glimpse of his talent to mark his name for himself in school and junior cricket.

The legendary batsman made his Ranji Trophy debut at just 15 scoring a century in his first innings. This was just the beginning as at 16 he was selected for India's tour to Pakistan where he played his first Test and ODI matches. He clearly caught the eye of the selectors.

A bizarre incident before making his debut for India

But here's a bizarre fact about Sachin's life which hardly a few would be aware of. In 1987, during a festival match held at the Brabourne stadium in Mumbai, the master blaster was seen fielding for Pakistan after players from Imran Khan's team left the ground.

The 53-year-old mentioned in his autobiography:

"I'm not sure if Imran Khan remembers that at all or has any clue of the fact that I fielded for his Pakistan team on a certain day 'Playing It My Way'.

Interestingly, during this short stint on the field Sachin even took a catch of Kapil Dev, a moment that still amazes fans.

Records Galore for the batting maestro

Numbers do not lie. Sachin has played an incredible 200 Test matches and 463 ODIs, both of which are world records. In the Tests he amassed 15,921 runs, which included 51 hundreds. And in ODIs he scored 18,426 runs.

Tendulkar remains the only cricketer in the world to have scored 100 international hundreds. His consistency, longevity and desire to dominate in this sport helped him reach iconic stature.

Batting apart, the master blaster has also proved himself to be handy with the ball, picking up 200 international wickets for India throughout his career. He's one of those very few players who's had an impact with both bat and ball for their nation in all three formats of the game.

The little master officially retired from international cricket in November 2013 in his final Test against West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, marking the end of a storied career that inspired millions.

Today, on his 53rd birthday, fans across the globe are not just remembering him for his records, but also for his overall journey- from a small boy in Mumbai to a legend.