In Pics | A journey through Sachin's 49 ODI centuries

Sachin scored his first-ever ODI ton against Australia at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo in September 1994, nearly five years after he first debuted in the format back in 1989. He had only recently been promoted to open the innings and Tendulkar did justice to that decision by making a mark straightaway. (Image Source: Twitter)

Tendulkar followed it up with another century the following month — this time, against the Kiwis at the IPCL Sports Complex Ground in Vadodara. He slammed 115 runs at a strike rate of 84.55 as India emerged victorious by seven wickets, chasing down 270 with relative ease courtesy his ton.  (Image Source: Twitter)

Merely two weeks later, Tendulkar notched-up his third ODI century by smashing 105 against West Indies at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. India put up 259 on the board and defended it to emerge victorious by five runs and clinch the series 4-1. (Image Source: Twitter)

Tendulkar gave an early testament of his clean striking abilities by hitting 112 off 107 deliveries in Sharjah to help India chase down 203 in merely 33.1 overs against Sri Lanka (Image Source: Twitter)

Tendulkar scored his first-ever ODI World Cup century by scoring an unbeaten 127 at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. This was first of the six World Cup tons that Tendulkar scored in his illustrious career. (Image Source: Twitter)

India had lost this game by six wickets courtesy an incredible second innings knock by Sanath Jayasuriya, but Tendulkar had put up a masterclass of 137 runs in 137 deliveries as he demolished the Lankan attack in New Delhi. (Image Source: Twitter)

Fresh off his 1996 World Cup heroics, Tendulkar scored 100 against Pakistan in the Singer Cup in Singapore. India lost that rain-affected game by eight wickets, but Tendulkar's ODI career had already begun gaining some incredible momentum by then. (Image Source: YouTube)

Tendulkar struck 118 against Pakistan in Sharjah as India scored 305 in 50 overs, which was a big feat in those times. Laden with eight boundaries and two sixes, this innings came at a time when even ODI cricket was played in whites occasionally! (Image Source: Twitter)

Four months later, Tendulkar brought up his ninth ODI ton during India's visit to Sri Lanka. He scored 110 off 138 deliveries in Colombo in the World Singer Series in a game that India ended up losing by nine wickets. (Image Source: YouTube)

Tendulkar scored 114 in his home ground at Wankhede Stadium against South Africa to propel the Indian team to an emphatic 74-run victory in the Pepsi Challenge (Mohinder Amarnath Benefit Match). (Image Source: Twitter)

Tendulkar scored 104 as he helped India chase down 241 against Zimbabwe at the Willowmoore Park in Benoni with six wickets in hand and over 10 overs to spare. (Image Source: Twitter)

Tendulkar notched up 117 in 137 deliveries at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru as he steered India to tovictory 221 with over seven overs remaining and by eight wickets against New Zealand (Image Source: Reuters)

Chasing 223, Tendulkar scored 100 against the mighty Australians at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur to help India beat the visitors by six wickets. (Image Source: Twitter)

Scenes after first of the two iconic 'Desert Storm' blitzkriegs that Tendulkar unleashed against the Australians in Sharjah merely two days prior to his 25th birthday. (Image Source: Cricbuzz)

Sachin followed up that knock with 134 at the very same venue two days later against Australia, helping India win the Coca-Cola Cup in incredible fashion. (Image Source: Twitter)

India was set a target of 197 by Kenya at Eden Gardens, which the home team chased down with nine wickets in hand courtesy a lovely 100* by the Little Master. (Image Source: Twitter)

Tendulkar scored 128 against Sri Lanka in Colombo as he helped India pile up 307 on the board and win the contest by six runs eventually. (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar led another one of India's chases with a 127-run knock against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo to help the visitors win by eight wickets. (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar scored 141 in Dhaka against Australia in the Wills International Cup to take the team to 307/8 in a game that they ended up winning by 44 runs. (Image Source: Reuters)

Sachin's love affair with Sharjah continued as he slammed 118* against Zimbabwe to add another feather in a fantastic 1998 for him. (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 124 to help India get to 197 with all 10 wickets in hand to emerge victorious in the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy. (Image Source: Reuters)

This century was particularly special as Sachin had returned from performing his father's last rites in the middle of the World Cup to score a counter-attacking 101-ball 140 against Kenya at Bristol. (Caption: Reuters)

Sachin scored 120 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in the Aiwa Cup as India won the rain-affected match by 23 runs. (Image Source: Twitter)

Tendulkar scored 186 off 150 as he stitched a 331-run partnership with Rahul Dravid to help India get to 376 in a match that they won eventually by 174 runs. (Image Source: Twitter)

Tendulkar brought up his 25th ODI century against South Africa in Vadodara to help India chase down 282 with four wickets in hand. (Image Source: YouTube)

Sachin had notched 101 in Sharjah against Sri Lanka. However, India put up only 240 on the board and it was chased down quite conveniently by the Lankans. (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar had scored a mammoth 146 against Zimbabwe in Jodhpur but the visitors had reached the target of 283 with a wicket in hand. Here's an image of a spectator coming into the ground to meet Sachin during his innings. (Image Source: Reuters)

Sachin was back to doing what he did best after the iconic 2001 India-Australia Test series. He scored 139 against the Aussies in Indore in a game that India won by 118 runs. (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar scored 122 against the men from the Caribbean in Harare in the Coca-Cola Cup to successfully spearhead India's chase of 230. (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar got to 101 off 129 deliveries in Johannesburg against South Africa in a game that the home team eventually won by six wickets. (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar smashed 146 against Kenya in Jodhpur to bring up his 31st ODI century. (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar scored 105* at Chester-le-Street against England in a game that failed to produce any result due to rain. (Image Source: Reuters)

Batting at number four, Tendulkar scored 113 against Sri Lanka to help India get to 304 and beat the Sanath Jayasuriya-led side by 63 runs. (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar had an incredible run in the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup. Against Namibia, he struck 152 runs in Pietermaritzburg as India defeated the minnows by 181 runs. (Image Source: Reuters)

In October that year, Sachin scored 100 against Australia in Gwalior in a game that the home side emerged victorious in by 37 runs. (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar scored 102 as his opening partner Virender Sehwag smashed 130 to help India win by 145 runs against New Zealand at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad. (Image Source: Reuters)

Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar applauds Tendulkar during his mammoth 141 in Rawalpindi in March 2004. (Image Source: Reuters)

Over a year later, Tendulkar scored his 38th ODI ton against Pakistan in Ahmedabad in the fourth match of the bilateral series in a losing cause. (Image Source: Reuters)

Nearly 10 months later, Tendulkar scored his next ODI ton against the same opposition, albeit in a winning cause and away from home this time around! (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 141 against the West Indies at the Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur as he moved into the 40s of his ODI centuries! (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar scored a quickfire 100 off 71 deliveries against the men from Caribbean to ensure that India put up 341 on the board in the first innings. (Image Source: Reuters)

Over 15 months later, Tendulkar starred in the iconic CB Series tri-nation finale as he scored an unbeaten 117 to help India chase down 240 in the first of the finals in Sydney. (Image Source: Reuters)

Sachin's next ODI century took another 13 months as he struck an incredible 163* against New Zealand at the AMI Stadium in Christchurch. (Image Source: Reuters)

Sachin hit 139 off 133 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in an innings which he described as one of his best ever! (Image Source: Reuters)

Sachin began picking up his peak form as India neared the 2011 ODI World Cup at home. In this game, he scored 175 in a thrilling chase wherein India came heartbreakingly close to the mammoth target of 351 runs put forth by Australia in Hyderabad. (Image Source: Reuters)

HISTORY! "The first man to score a double century in One Day cricket, and it's the Superman from India," Ravi Shastri's iconic words still ring true as Tendulkar scripted another iconic chapter in his peerless career by scaling this feat against South Africa in Gwalior in February 2010. (Image Source: Reuters)

Tendulkar scored 120 against England in Bengaluru in India's second game of the 2011 ODI Cricket World Cup. His terrific slog sweeps off Graeme Swann from this game are still fresh in our memories. (Image Source: Reuters)

This was Tendulkar's 99th international hundred and he chose a fitting game to bring up this feat — against the strong South African unit in Nagpur in a high-octane World Cup clash! (Image Source: Reuters)

The final ton! Tendulkar finally ended the long wait for his landmark 100th international century by scoring one against Bangladesh in Dhaka in the 2012 Asia Cup! The end of not just an era, but many eras! (Image Source: Reuters)