Will Sachin Tendulkar become the first Indian cricketer to be knighted?

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (born 24 April 1973) is a former Indian cricketer widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of the modern generation and by many as the greatest cricketer of all time. He made his Test debut against Pakistan at the age of sixteen.

Sachin’s name is synonymous with cricket. He is the only player to have scored one hundred international centuries, the first batsman to score a double century in a One Day International, and the only player to complete more than 30,000 runs in international cricket.

Some of his honours include :

National honours

1994 - Arjuna Award, by the Government of India in recognition of his outstanding achievement in sports.
1997-98 - Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest honour given for achievement in sports.
1999 - Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award.
2001 - Maharashtra Bhushan Award, Maharashtra State’s highest Civilian Award.
2008 - Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award.
2014 - Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award announced and to be presented on 26 January 2014, the Republic Day of India.

Other honours

1997 - Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
2003 - Player of the tournament in 2003 Cricket World Cup.
2004, 2007, 2010 - ICC World ODI XI.
2009, 2010, 2011 - ICC World Test XI.
2010 - Outstanding Achievement in Sport and the Peoples Choice Award at The Asian Awards in London.
2010 - Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World.
2010 - ICC Award-Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for cricketer of the year.
2010 - LG People’s Choice Award.
2010 - Made a Honorary Group captain by the Indian Air Force.
2011 - BCCI Cricketer of the Year award.
2011 - Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year award.
2012 - Wisden India Outstanding Achievement award.
2012 - Honorary Life Membership of Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)
2012 - Honorary Member of the Order of Australia, given by the Australian government.
2013 - Indian Postal Service released a stamp of Tendulkar and he became the second Indian after Mother Teresa to have such stamp released in their lifetime.
2013 - Indian government announced that Sachin will get a Bharat Ratna.

Although every award seems tiny in comparison to his achievements but yes he seems to be the first cricketer to be knighted. India previously produced few great cricketers too like little master Sunil Gavaskar or first world cup winning captain Kapil Dev but Sachin’s fan following and popularity made him the first and only sportsman to get a Bharat Ratna.

So in one way or the other Sachin Tendulkar will become the first Indian cricketer to be knighted.