Virat Kohli Sachin Tendulkar
Virat Kohli Sachin Tendulkar

Virat Kohli has thanked Sachin Tendulkar for the tribute the latter wrote about the India skipper for TIME’s magazine.

Kohli made it to the renowned magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People’ list for 2018. He is one of the only six sportspeople to make it to the prestigious list. The other five in the list are – Swiss tennis legend, Roger Federer, Kevin Durant (basketball), Chloe Kim (snowboarding), Adam Rippon (figure skating) and JJ Watt (American football).

The latest recognition is yet another feather to Kohli’s impressive cap. The reigning ICC Player of the Year enjoyed a stunning 2017 both as a batsman and as captain. He scored the third-most runs in history across all three formats for a calendar year. The right-handed batsman amassed a staggering 2,818 runs which included 11 hundreds.

He also enjoyed a good outing as a skipper. In 2017, he led India to Test series wins over Australia and Bangladesh, as well as Sri Lanka twice. India also reached the Champions Trophy final and won ODI series against England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand.

Virat Kohli Thanks Sachin Tendulkar for Tribute in TIME's Magazine 1
Credits: BCCI

The world is at his feet and seeing Kohli making it to the list should not come as a big surprise. And the moment became all more special for Kohli when his illustrious predecessor Tendulkar wrote a special tribute for him.

“The U19 World Cup in 2008 was very important for India, as it would define the next bunch of youngsters who would go on to represent the nation,” Tendulkar wrote.

“That was the first time I watched this young, passionate player lead India. Today Virat Kohli is a household name and a champion in cricket. Even back then, his hunger for runs and consistency was remarkable, something that has become the hallmark of his game.

Virat Kohli Thanks Sachin Tendulkar for Tribute in TIME's Magazine 2
Credits: BCCI

“Every sportsman knows what it’s like to have good spells and bad ones too. Virat took the criticism he faced during a disappointing West Indies series (in 2016) and returned home with a goal: to improve not only his technique but also his fitness level. He’s never looked back,” he added.

Delighted with Tendulkar’s tribute, Kohli took to Twitter to thank him. He tweeted:

“Thank you @sachin_rt paaji for such warm and encouraging words. Truly honored for being able to make it to the @Time’s 100 list. #Times100 #grateful ??.”

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