New Delhi [India], June 11 (ANI): On the occasion of the International Day of Play, Indian cricket legend and UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia, Sachin Tendulkar, made a heartfelt appeal to parents and caregivers, emphasizing the vital role of play in every child's life.

Through a message shared on his official X handle on Wednesday, Tendulkar underlined that play is much more than a source of enjoyment, it is a key element in a child's physical, emotional, and social development.

'Play is more than just having fun; it fosters teamwork, joy, and teaches resilience. Let us work together to safeguard every child's right to play, learn, and thrive.'

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Tendulkar urged families and communities to ensure that children are given the time and space to engage in playful activities. He stressed that play is not a luxury, but a fundamental need for children to grow, learn about the world around them, and build important life skills.

With a staggering 34,357 international runs, Tendulkar is the most successful batter in cricket history. During his illustrious run in the international circuit, Tendulkar rewrote history numerous times, and many of these achievements remain unchallenged.

With technical supremacy and a natural appetite for scoring runs, Tendulkar was a class apart in the Test format. With his unwavering patience and resilience, the 'Master Blaster' has 200 Test appearances to his name, the most by any player in the format.

By implementing his picture-perfect strokes, Tendulkar garnered 15,921 runs, 51 centuries, and 2,058 fours, the highest by any player in red-ball cricket. The Indian 'God of Cricket' is the fastest to 15,000 Test runs, having achieved the feat in 300 innings, and sits alone in the exclusive club.

With a career that spanned over 22 years and 91 days, the 52-year-old has the longest career in ODIs. With a whopping 1,894 runs and nine centuries in 1998, the Indian stalwart sits at the top of the list for most runs and hundreds in a calendar year in the format.

During his run in the 50-over format, which goes far beyond the realm of impressive, Tendulkar raised his bat to celebrate 145 half-centuries and found the fence for a four on 2,016 occasions, the highest by any player that the world of cricket has ever seen.

The undisputed icon was the fastest to 18,000 ODI runs, achieving the feat in 440 innings. Just as he achieved a similar milestone in Tests, Tendulkar stands alone in the exclusive club for this achievement.

While examining his era of dominance, Tendulkar holds the highest number of Player of the Match awards (76), the most runs in a career (34,357), the most fifties (264), the most nineties (28), and the most fours (4,076) across all formats.

Tendulkar's unparalleled greatness also resonates in the fact that with 20 centuries against Australia, he has the record for most tons against a team across all formats. (ANI)