Indian painter Jagjot Singh Rubal touches up his painting commemorating Sachin Tendulkar's latest cricketing milestone.
(CNN) -- He's known as "The Little Master" and now Sachin Tendulkar can lay claim to being the only man in cricket history to reach 100 international centuries.
The Indian batsman, who is the highest Test run scorer of all time, achieved the unprecedented feat during a one-day international against Bangladesh on Friday -- having been stuck on 99 hundreds for 33 innings.
Tendulkar, who is revered in his home country and regarded as one of the finest batsmen ever to play the sport, looked to the heavens and kissed the Indian badge as he reached the landmark figure.
His 100th century was his 49th in one-day matches, to add to his 51 Test hundreds. It was also his first one-day century against minnows Bangladesh. He was eventually dismissed for 114.
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"I was not thinking about the milestone. It hasn't sunk in," Tendulkar told the host broadcaster after his historic knock.
"A year ago when I got my 99th hundred the media began talking about it. Everybody began asking me about that. It began (to get a) little difficult. I was not playing for my 100th hundred.
"I have lost about 50 kilos. Enjoy the game and chase your dreams. I had to wait for 22 years for one dream, the World Cup."
Despite Tendulkar's heroics, Bangladesh eventually scored an upset victory in the Asia Cup match by five wickets.
Chasing India's 289 for five wickets, openers Tamim Iqbal and Jahurul Islam put on 113 for the second wicket.
Man-of-the-match Shakib Al-Hasan (49) and Nasir Hossain (54) kept the scoring rate high, but Bangladesh still needed 46 runs off the last five overs.
Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim saw them home with 46 not out off 25 balls, including three sixes.
It took only a little gloss off the earlier milestone for 39-year-old Tendulkar, who is India's most high-profile sporting icon in a country where cricket is a religion.
His century provoked an outpouring of joy on home soil after a long wait.
Legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan took to Twitter to say: "India breathes normally! Sachin completes an incredible feat! A hundred 100's. Never done before, perhaps never after!"
Tendulkar made his debut for India in a Test match against Pakistan back in 1989 when he was just 16 and, despite being hit in the mouth by a ball from fast bowler Waqar Younis, he batted on in a blood-soaked shirt.
His first hundred in international cricket came as a 17-year-old in a match against England and by the time he turned 25 he already had compiled 16 centuries.
Tendulkar became the first man to reach 50 centuries in 2000 and surpassed West Indian batsman Brian Lara's record for the highest number of Test runs in 2008.
His current total of 33,854 runs in international cricket has cemented his status as a pioneer of the modern game and his enthusiasm for the game still burns bright as he prepares to turn 39 in April.
India's prime minister, Manmohan Singh, paid tribute to Tendulkar in a statement. "I join the nation in congratulating Sachin Tendulkar on his making history -- a hundred centuries. He has made India proud.
"Tendulkar's long career has been a triumph of class, character and courage. I wish him many more innings and feats to continue inspiring the youth."
Tendulkar recorded his 99th international hundred over a year ago as part of India's successful World Cup campaign on home soil.
But since then he has failed to bring up three figures on India's tours of England and Australia as well as the home series against the West Indies -- twice being dismissed in the 90s.
The closest player to Tendulkar in terms of hundreds is former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who has 71 centuries. South Africa's Jacques Kallis is third on the all-time list with 59.
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Tendulkar became the first man in cricket history to score 100 international hundreds when he made 114 in a limited-overs match against Bangladesh on March 16, 2012.
Tendulkar visited the residence of Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, right, to mark his achievement.
He had been stuck on 99 since the 2011 World Cup, when he closed to within one of the milestone with a ton against South Africa. Tendulkar helped India win the final against co-hosts Sri Lanka in his home city of Mumbai on April 2. He scored only 18 in that match, but was India's top runscorer as his country won the 50-over tournament for the first time.
Cricket fans had been waiting for the milestone, which came 33 innings after the South Africa game. Tendulkar went close during India's disappointing tour of Australia -- against whom he has scored 20 tons, more than any other nation.
Tendulkar is the first and only player in cricket history to score 15,000 Test match runs, achieving the feat in November 2011.
Having scored a triple century as a schoolboy, and then passing 100 on his first-class debut in 1988, Tendulkar made his international debut the following year at the age of 16 against Pakistan.
Tendulkar scored his first international century in the five-day format the following year on India's tour of England, hitting 119 not out in the second Test at Old Trafford.
Debate still rages as to whether Tendulkar can be considered greater than Australian legend Donald Bradman, whose Test career ended in 1948 with an incredible average of 99.94, scoring 6,996 runs in 52 matches.
England's players applaud after Tendulkar scores 193 in Leeds in 2002, passing Bradman's record of 29 Test centuries. He has now played 188 Tests, notching 51 hundreds.
Tendulkar, left, became Test cricket's highst runscorer in October 2008 when he passed Brian Lara's previous record of 11,953 during a home series against Australia.
Tendulkar's next foray into three figures saw him become the first batsman to score 200 in a 50-over international -- against South Africa on February 25, 2010. Indian schoolchildren in Amritsar celebrated their national hero's landmark feat.
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