Sachin Tendulkar turns 49: Virat Kohli shares special birthday message for 'one of the greatest' players

Widely regarded as one of the best players in the history of cricket, Tendulkar has been a childhood hero for many Indian players including Kohli.

Virat Kohli was among the players who extended birthday wishes to Sachin Tendulkar, who celebrated his 49th birthday on Sunday. Widely regarded as one of the best players in the history of cricket, Tendulkar has been the hero for many Indian players including Kohli, who made his debut in the year 2008 and soon found himself on the fast lane to success. Kohli's rise in the international arena also led to people comparing him to Tendulkar.

Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli (Twitter/Virat Kohli)

On Tendulkar's special day, Kohli took to Instagram to share a special birthday message for the Indian great. "Happy Birthday to one of the greatest. Have a good one Sachin paji," wrote Kohli in his story along with a picture with Tendulkar.

The legendary batter has the most number of runs in the longest format of the game, amassing 15,921 runs. Along the way, Tendulkar scored 51 Test centuries, the most by any player. He stands at the top of the list of most runs in One-day Internationals, with a total of 18,426 runs, including 49 tons and 96 half-centuries. He has also achieved a historic landmark of touching 100 international tons.

Tendulkar, who bid adieu to international cricket in 2013, was also the first batsman to score a double ton in the 50-over format.

During his illustrious career, the former batter represented India in six World Cups. He was also a part of the 2011 World Cup-winning squad. Kohli was also a part of the triumphant squad of the showpiece event.

It's no secret that Kohli shares a special bond with Tendulkar. The two have been compared many a time with Kohli always rating the veteran batter above him. Tendulkar recently had also heaped praise on Kohli, saying the former India skipper always had what it took to be a modern-day great.

"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," Tendulkar had told Graham Bensinger.

The 'Master Blaster' also revealed that Kohli had sought help from him during the dismal England tour back in 2014 "In 2014, I remember meeting him 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."