Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai Recalls How Tendulkar Helped Him Land His First Front-Page Byline

Rajdeep Sardesai, is a famous Indian news anchor, journalist, reporter, and author. Recently in a podcast he shared a story about how, during his early days at The Times of India, he earned his first front-page byline—thanks to cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. Sardesai had joined The Times of India in November 1988, and just a month later, a life-changing moment occurred.

In December 1988, Sachin Tendulkar was making his debut in the Ranji Trophy, and excitement was in the air. Sardesai asked his editor, Darryl D’Monte, for permission to visit Wankhede Stadium that afternoon. Since D’Monte wasn't particularly interested in cricket, he asked why. Sardesai explained the significance of the match, and though initially hesitant, D’Monte eventually agreed.

Sachin Tendulkar made his Ranji debut on December 11, 1988, playing for Bombay (now Mumbai) against Gujarat at Wankhede Stadium. Just 15 years old at the time, he scored an impressive unbeaten century (100), becoming the youngest Indian to do so on his first-class debut.

After witnessing Tendulkar's remarkable performance, Sardesai rushed back to the office and requested permission to write a piece on the young cricketer. “I’ve seen the new dawn of Indian cricket,” he told his editor. It took some convincing, but D’Monte eventually agreed and allowed him to write an 800-word article.

The next morning, to Sardesai’s surprise and delight, his story appeared on the front page with his byline. That moment became a turning point for both the young journalist and the budding cricketer—a moment when both of their careers began to soar.

About: Rajdeep Sardesai

Rajdeep Sardesai is a prominent Indian journalist, news anchor, and author, born on 24 May 1965. His father, Dilip Sardesai, was a former Indian Test cricketer— the first Goa-born player to represent India. He was widely regarded as one of India’s finest batsmen against spin, even in an era when many Indian batsmen excelled at playing spin bowling.

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Rajdeep began his journalism career with The Times of India in 1988, where he served for six years and eventually became the city editor of its Mumbai edition. In 1994, he transitioned to television journalism by joining NDTV as a political editor. At NDTV, he played a key role as Managing Editor of NDTV 24x7 and NDTV India, hosting popular shows like The Big Fight and helping shape the channel’s news policies."

In 2005, Sardesai co-founded Global Broadcast News (GBN), launching CNN-IBN in partnership with CNN and TV18, serving as its Editor-in-Chief. Under his leadership, CNN-IBN became a major player in Indian broadcast journalism. However, after Reliance Industries acquired control of Network18 in 2014, Sardesai, along with his core editorial team, resigned. Since then, he has been a consulting editor with the India Today Group and anchors a prime-time show on India Today TV. [Rh/VP]