Sachin Tendulkar received India's highest civilian award in May.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar ( [ sətʃɪn_tɛnˈduːlkər ] born 24 April 1973 ) is a former Indian cricketer and captain , widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time . After a few hours of his final match on 16 November 2013 , the Prime Minister 's Office announced the decision to award him the Bharat Ratna , India 's highest civilian award .