Sachin Tendulkar was the one person Virat Kohli wanted to meet and talk to the most after his nightmarish tour to England in 2014, where he could manage 134 runs in 10 innings with a best of 39 and was dismissed 6 times for a single-digit score.
Tendulkar, a hero Kohli, happily obliged Kohli’s request and pointed out the flaws in the youngster’s game after which Kohli went on to become a batting great. He smashed his demons of the 2014 tour with a record-breaking England tour in 2018, scoring 593 runs at 59.
Speaking with Graham Bensinger on his YouTube channel, Tendulkar recalled: “In 2014, I remember meeting him [Kohli] and we discussed a couple of things where I felt he could get better. I have always believed in helping players and sharing my knowledge, whatever inputs I have… I’ve always been open to that. Virat contacted me and he wanted me to spend some time with him which I did. And like I said, that each generation looks up to their hero. That’s how you set your dreams and set your targets. Then you start chasing them.”
The comparisons between Kohli and Tendulkar have been going on for years now, with the latter touted to break some of Tendulkar’s seemingly unreachable records.
Tendulkar, though, was effusive in praise for the 33-year-old and expressed contentment at observing Kohli reach the levels that the Delhi lad has. He also recalled seeing the “fire and hunger” in Kohli when he made his debut in 2008.
“Virat is a good friend. So pleased to see how his career has shaped in the last decade. When he started, I was part of the team at that time and I could see that fire and hunger in him. And from thereon, how he has worked hard on his game and how he has changed his lifestyle to achieve what he has been able to… has been remarkable.
“Virat has been tremendous. He has done tremendously well and there is so much to happen in his career from here on. We all at some stage in our career, need heroes and the players who have that impact on their generation, motivate so many guys,” the batting maestro further said.
