Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar named 'National Icon' by Election Commission

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) will name cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar as its 'National Icon' on Wednesday in order to encourage voter participation in the electoral process. Sachin Tendulkar and the Election Commission will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday, August 23rd. Under the three-year agreement, Tendulkar will raise voter awareness among voters.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Election Commission stated that "This collaboration will be an important step toward leveraging Tendulkar's unique influence among the youth to increase voter participation in the upcoming elections, particularly the Lok Sabha elections in 2024."

Through this partnership, the Election Commission seeks to address the concerns of urban apathy and youth voter participation. The Election Commission has been designating celebrities from numerous fields as 'National Icons' in order to encourage voters to vote. The committee named actor Pankaj Tripathi a 'national icon' last year. Previously, veterans such as MS Dhoni, Aamir Khan, and Mary Kom served as the Election Commission's national icons during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Sachin Tendulkar is the highest run scorer in both ODI and international cricket history, with an average of 44.83 and a strike rate of 86.23. He has scored 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs, including 49 centuries and 96 fifties. Tendulkar is the first male player to score an ODI double century and has scored 34,357 runs in 664 matches, including 100 centuries and 164 fifties. He has represented India in six World Cups and was part of the 2011 World Cup-winning team.