President Pranab Mukherjee will on February 4 decorate Sachin Tendulkar with Bharat Ratna at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Tendulkar,40, who retired from international cricket on November 16 last year was chosen for the award along with eminent scientist Prof CNR Rao. Tendulkar will be the first sportsman to be bestowed with the country's highest civilian honour. 

The announcement was made by Rashtrapati Bhavan within hours after Tendulkar played his 200th and farewell Test against the West Indies in Mumbai. 

An official statement said Tendulkar has been a true Ambassador of India in the world of sports and his achievements in cricket are unparallelled, the records set by him unmatched, and the spirit of sportsmanship displayed by him exemplary. 

"That he has been honoured with several awards is testimony to his extraordinary brilliance as a sportsman," it said, noting that Tendulkar has played cricket across the world and won laurels for the country during the last 24 years (the maestro began playing when he was just 16).