Former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has admitted that he rues the fact that he never got to play against his idol Sir Viv Richards.

Tendulkar retired earlier this year after a stellar career, having made his debut as a teenager in the 1992 World Cup.

He reveals that playing against cricket legends from the 1980s such as Sir Ian Botham, Imran Khan and Curtly Ambrose was special, but is unhappy to have missed the chance to take on his hero.

"I was quite disappointed that Vivian Richards was not part of the West Indies squad [in 1992]," Tendulkar told reporters. "He was, and still is, my hero, so it was disappointing that I could not play against him.

"There were some real big names and some of the world's top all-rounders. One thing I feel happy about is I played against all of them. Richard Hadlee, Malcolm Marshall, Clive Rice, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Ian Botham.

"I consider myself very fortunate. It was quite an experience to play those top guys."

Tendulkar ended his career with a plethora of records, including the highest run scorer in ODI and Test match history.