Sachin Tendulkar inspired me to become what I am today: Virat Kohli

[Hitman]

Virat Kohli has opened up on the unique bond he shares with Sachin Tendulkar. The Indian captain said it was the Master Blaster who inspired him to become what he is today.

Kohli had debuted for India back in 2008 when Tendulkar was alredy considered the greatest batsman since the days of Don Bradman. Over the years, the two formed a great connect and the mutual respect grew even as Kohli continued to rise in stature as an international cricketer.

Tendulkar's farewell from the game was an emotional affair. Mumbai had turned up in full force at the Wankhede Stadium where Tendulkar had bid adieu after playing his 200th Test. After India had decimated West Indies, Tendulkar's emotional farewell speech left all of India in tears.

And then something happened at the Wankhede dressing-room that moved the great Sachin Tendulkar.

During the launch of his book Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians, Boria Majumdar talked about the moment Kohli went up to Tendulkar and offered him a rare gift.

Kohli had walked up to Tendulkar and offered him an invaluable gift - threads given to a young Virat by his father. Virat had been told to give those threads to someone he respected immensely.

And Kohli went on to touch Tendulkar's feet - Sachin then embraced him and said: 'Tujhe wohaan nahin, yahaan hona hai' (Your place is here, not there.)

Almost five years later, Kohli is India captain, the greatest batsman in the world and in sight of Tendulkar's ODI records. While Tendulkar leads the list of century-scorers in ODIs, Kohli is second with 35 hundreds to his name.

Speaking at the book launch, Kohli said he understood the impact Tendulkar has had on his career.

"I don't have too many people who are very close to me. That is just the way life has gone on for so many years. Because naturally when someone has stuck by me in tough times, I value that person a lot.

"I continue to do that. The impact he has had in my life growing up.... I understand the importance of it.

"If someone can inspire you like that and you end up becoming someone and you feel like there is no greater pleasure than that. So that (handing his father's threads over to Tendulkar) was just a gesture of thank you to the guy who has inspired me to do what I am doing. For me, the human connect is paramount.

"Incentives, gains ... these things do not matter to me. If someone is honest with me, that's what matters," he said.

When Kohli went through a nightmarish tour of England in 2014, he turned to Tendulkar for help. A few months later, he smashed four hundreds in four Tests in Australia and has not looked back since.

Over the past two years, Kohli has scored six double hundreds in Test cricket and became the first batsman in history to score double hundreds in four successive series.

Link: https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...hat-i-am-today-virat-kohli-1206919-2018-04-07

 

[Hawkeye]

Of course he's gonna say that.

And.. eventually he became far more impactful and ruthless than the inspiration, nothing wrong in that either.

 

[Send1983]

Of course he's gonna say that.

And.. eventually he became far more impactful and ruthless than the inspiration, nothing wrong in that either.

Some of the pak fans need burnol. They get upset whenever someone says anythiny good about Sachin. Best ever batsman, cricketer, player from Asia. Period.

 

[Abdul]

Some of the pak fans need burnol. They get upset whenever someone says anythiny good about Sachin. Best ever batsman, cricketer, player from Asia. Period.

*From the world.

 

[Proactive_]

Funnily, his favorite batsman was Herschelle Gibbs at the U-19 WC 2008. Suddenly after gaining stardom Tendulkar has become his idol, mentor, inspiration, God everything at once What an opportunist this guy is.

 

[Hasan123]

No surprise here. Sachin has and will continue to inspire future cricketers from India.

 

[LastManstanding]

No surprise here. Sachin has and will continue to inspire future cricketers from India.

Not sure about the future but you will be hard pressed to find a kid who grew up in 90s without admiring Tendulkar. In 90s Indian cricket started and ended with Sachin.

 

[Rishta Aunty]

Funnily, his favorite batsman was Herschelle Gibbs at the U-19 WC 2008. Suddenly after gaining stardom Tendulkar has become his idol, mentor, inspiration, God everything at once What an opportunist this guy is.

You seem to hate the Indian team in general with passion and Tendulkar in particular. Any specific reason why being from India as your profile claims? I'm Pakistani and it's pretty easy to see why Kohli would have been inspired by Tendulkar, just as how Amir would have been inspired by Akram.

 

[TestMatch]

You can tell that, in everything he does, Kohli's using Tendulkar as a yardstick. I haven't seen such a proactive hunger for greatness since Sanga Version 2.

 

[AFM]

Really Virat? I am shocked. I was under the impression that the batting maestro that is Ramiz Raja was your inspiration.

 

[WengerOut]

Really Virat? I am shocked. I was under the impression that the batting maestro that is Ramiz Raja was your inspiration.

I think you're confused between Virat and Shezzie bwoyy.

 

[Slog]

Seems like Sachin needs his ego inflated from time to time now that he is retired... It's almost like a rite of passage for any upcoming Indian cricketer

 

[Rahul1]

Funnily, his favorite batsman was Herschelle Gibbs at the U-19 WC 2008. Suddenly after gaining stardom Tendulkar has become his idol, mentor, inspiration, God everything at once What an opportunist this guy is.

Today I learned that you can't have more than one favourite batsman.

 

[pillionrider]

Today I learned that you can't have more than one favourite batsman.

I remember this quote by Virat. It was one of those sound byte things they did during the U-19 tournament. Gibbs and his lofted cover drives would make anyone a fan.

I don't think Virat has been insincere with his Sachin praise and feel he must've become more of a bhakt (the good types) once he interacted with Sachin and started picking his cricketing brains as an Indian team player.

 

[www787]

For Sachin it was probably Gavaskar, For Kholi it has to be Tendulkar just like for the rest of Indians. And for the kids now, It has to be Kholi.

Indians are lucky to have such inspiration. Amazing talents

 

[pillionrider]

For Sachin it was probably Gavaskar

Gavaskar and Viv actually.