Virat Kohli stops to share a wholesome moment with Sachin Tendulkar; Master Blaster’s gesture in return is cherry on top

It’s not often these days that Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar are in the same place at the same time. It’s been more than a decade since they stopped being teammates, and their paths hardly cross. The last couple of months, Tendulkar was busy with wedding preparations for his son Arjun, whereas Kohli, after playing the series against New Zealand in January, returned to London before returning for the 2026 Indian Premier League.

Still, when Tendulkar and Kohli meet, it’s a sight for sore eyes. For example, last night, after the match, when the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru smashed the Mumbai Indians to win the contest by 18 runs, the Virat-Sachin reunion melted the internet’s hearts. As the players took part in the customary post-match handshakes, Kohli and Sachin met, hugged and shared a heartwarming exchange.

Also Read: ‘A deeply sad day for India’ – Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli pay poignant tributes to singing icon Asha Bhosle

As Kohli shook hands with each of his counterparts, he stopped especially to greet his idol, Tendulkar, and the two shared a warm hug. The smile on their faces said it all. Kohli grew up watching Tendulkar, and technically, went on to replace him as the face of Indian cricket. And Sachin, being the thorough mentor, was available to assist Virat at every stage of his career – including helping him come out of the rut after his forgettable 2014 Test tour of England.

The mutual respect and admiration Virat and Sachin have for each other are no secret. In fact, Kohli has time and again bowed down before the great man, who helped shape his career in more than one way. Kohli lifted Tendulkar on his shoulders when India won the World Cup in 2011 and then again two years later, after Sachin played his farewell match for India. Another moment that comes to mind is the 2016 World T20, when, after leading India to a win over Pakistan at the Eden Gardens, Kohli saluted Sachin, and Tendulkar replied with a thumbs-up. A similar sight unfolded at the 2023 World Cup, when Kohli went down to the ground and showed the ultimate mark of respect to Sachin in the stands after breaking his record for most ODI centuries – completing the 50th of his career.

Nonetheless, the meeting was the perfect end to the game. Kohli was one of RCB’s three centurions who powered their team to 240/4, a total MI fell short of comprehensively. This was the first time MI lost to RCB in back-to-back matches at the Wankhede Stadium – they had lost by 12 runs last year.

Click here to read article