Bound by a thread: Tendulkar recalls Kohli's special gesture on retirement day

Tendulkar pays tribute to Kohli's Test career, recalling a heartwarming gesture that symbolized their bond.

He was the heir apparent when Sachin Tendulkar was in the twilight of his career and on Monday (May 12, 2025) when Virat Kohli bid adieu to his storied Test run, the 'Master Blaster' recalled a thread that became a binding force between them.

It was 12 years ago when Tendulkar was playing his last Test in Mumbai when Kohli, then 24, already a world champion and in a nascent stage of his Test career, came up to his idol with a "thoughtful gesture".

"You offered to gift me a thread from your late father. It was something too personal for me to accept, but the gesture was heartwarming and has stayed with me ever since," Tendulkar remembered in a post on X while paying his tribute to the modern day great, who called it quits after 123 Tests and 9230 runs.

"While I may not have a thread to offer in return, please know that you carry my deepest admiration and very best wishes. Your true legacy, Virat, lies in inspiring countless young cricketers to pick up the sport," Tendulkar said.

Kohli lost his father as a teenager and has often talked about the void it created in his life.

Kohli has also never hidden his reverence for the Mumbaikar. He had carried Tendulkar on his shoulders during a victory lap after India won the 2011 World Cup.

This was after famously proclaiming that "Sachin Tendulkar carried the burden of the entire nation for 21 years, so it's time we carried him on our shoulders".