Tendulkar recalls moment when he returned Kohli’s ‘priceless’ gift

When India won the men’s 2011 World Cup, defeating Sri Lanka by six wickets, Virat Kohli was one of those who carried Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders at the Wankhede Stadium.

“This was that gift from all of those people for him [Tendulkar] because he kept giving, giving, giving for India and I thought what better way at his home ground to realise his dream and then he gets a lap of honour,” the former India caption later recalled.

Kohli held Tendulkar in such high esteem that two years later, in 2013, when the batsman was retiring, he gave him something even more precious.

Kohli was still in the initial years of his international career and, like most of his young teammates, considered Tendulkar his idol.

“So I was sitting in one corner alone, with towel on my head. [I was] wiping tears and I was really emotional,” Tendulkar told American journalist Graham Bensinger on the latter’s YouTube channel. “At that time, Virat had come to me and Virat gave me the sacred thread that his father had given him,” he said.

The video then cuts to a previous chat between Bensinger and Kohli in which the cricketer explains the reason behind his choice of gift.

“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 with me in my bag. And then I thought this is the most valuable thing I have. So, my father gave this to me and I couldn’t give you anything more valuable and I just want you know how much you have inspired me and what you mean to all of us and this is my little gift to you,” Kohli said.

Tendulkar added that he felt he had to return the gift.

“Kept that for a while and then returned that to him again. I said this is priceless and this has to stay with you and no one else. This is your property and you should have it till your last breath and I gave it back to him. So it was an emotional moment, something that will always be there in my memory.”