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Cricket Players'Virat came to me. I couldn't control my tears': Tendulkar reveals Kohli's 'priceless' gift to him; 'I returned it'
Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar have had many stories together but this one perhaps stands out as the most heart-warming one.
The image of Virat Kohli lifting Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders after India won the 2011 World Cup is etched in our memories. Kohli was playing his first World Cup for India and watching his idol finally win the prestigious tournament in his sixth and final attempt, like many, was a dream come true for the then-India youngster. Perhaps nothing summed up the entire nation's emotions better than that one line from Kohli at the Wankhede Stadium: "He has carried the burden of the nation for 23 years. It is time we carried him on our shoulders".
It has been nine years since Tendulkar retired, and Kohli has succeeded the legendary batter as the quintessential star of Indian cricket. The debate as to who is the better batsman between Tendulkar and Kohli may never end, but it is no secret that both legends have the utmost respect for the other. Kohli and Sachin have had many stories together but one of the most heart-warming exchanges between the two took place after Tendulkar's farewell Test in Mumbai in 2013.
"Oh, I still remember it. I had just returned to the change room and I was in tears. Till then, I knew that yes, I am going to retire but when that ball was done, I said to myself… 'Ok, that's it. Never ever in your life you will walk out on the field as an international player for India'. So I was sitting in one corner alone with a towel on my head and wiping tears. I was really emotional and couldn't control my tears. Virat came to me at that time, and he gave me the sacred thread that his father had given him," Sachin told American journalist Graham Ben singer during a show on his YouTube channel.
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"I kept that for a while and returned it to him… told him it is priceless. This has to stay with you. This is yours and no one else's. You should have it till your last breath. And I gave it back to him. So that was an emotional moment… something that will always be with me in my memory forever."
About two years ago, Kohli, during the same show, had spoken about the special moment. He went on to describe that at that particular moment, the thread was the most special belonging he had, and as a gesture of his respect and admiration towards Tendulkar, Kohli had no hesitation in presenting it to him.
"We usually wear threads around our wrists. In India, a lot of people do. So my father gave one to me which he used to have. So I used to keep that in my bag. And then I thought this is the most valuable thing I have so it was like 'my father gave this to me and I couldn't give you anything more valuable. I just want you to know how much you have inspired me and how much you mean to all of us. This is my little gift to you'," Kohli had said.
