It’s not something you see often anymore—Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar sharing the same space, in the same moment. More than ten years have passed since they were regular teammates, and their paths rarely overlap these days. In recent months, Tendulkar had been occupied with preparations for his son Arjun’s wedding, while Kohli, after finishing the New Zealand series in January, returned to London before rejoining the build-up for the 2026 Indian Premier League.
Still, whenever the two do meet, the sight instantly draws attention. Last night was one such night: after the match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the defending champions, defeated Mumbai Indians by 18 runs. That win wasn’t just another result on the card—it sparked a wave of admiration online as a Kohli–Sachin reunion unfolded right after the final moments of the contest.
Quick facts
- Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar rarely meet due to time apart since their teammate days ended over a decade ago.
- Tendulkar had been preparing for son Arjun’s wedding, while Kohli returned to London after the New Zealand series in January and later prepared for IPL 2026.
- RCB beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in the match in question.
- Kohli greeted Tendulkar during the post-match handshake, and the pair hugged and exchanged warm words.
As the players lined up for the usual post-game handshakes, Kohli and Tendulkar connected in a way that felt genuinely personal. They hugged, spoke briefly, and shared a moment that looked as natural as it was heartfelt. The exchange struck a chord with fans because it captured the bond between two generations of Indian cricket in a single frame.
During Kohli’s handshake tour, he paused specifically to meet his idol, Tendulkar. The warmth in their body language did most of the talking. Kohli has often spoken about growing up watching Tendulkar, and many observers have felt that he eventually stepped into a similar spotlight for Indian cricket. For his part, Tendulkar has been the mentor-type figure throughout—someone who could offer guidance at key stages, including after Kohli’s difficult 2014 Test tour of England, when he needed help getting back on track.
Tendulkar’s gesture and the likely topic
What made the reunion even more striking was the response from Tendulkar. After Kohli stopped to greet him, Tendulkar appeared to ask something—Kohli answered and nodded, before the two moved on. It’s hard not to guess that the conversation could have touched on his personal life, possibly his family, given that Kohli has two children, Vamika and Akaay. The link is obvious too: Tendulkar is also a father of two.
Tendulkar then patted Kohli on the shoulders, and the duo continued through the rest of the greetings. The moment didn’t feel staged—more like a brief check-in between people who have shared respect for years, both in the limelight and beyond it.
The mutual respect between them has never been a secret. Kohli has repeatedly shown deference to Tendulkar, and the gestures have gone both ways. When India won the World Cup in 2011, Kohli lifted Tendulkar onto his shoulders—an iconic scene that later echoed again when Tendulkar played his farewell match for the national team two years afterwards.
Another memory that stands out is the 2016 World T20. After Kohli led India to victory over Pakistan at Eden Gardens, Kohli saluted Tendulkar, and Tendulkar responded with a thumbs-up. A similar display of admiration arrived at the 2023 World Cup, when Kohli went down to the ground and offered the ultimate sign of respect to Tendulkar in the stands after breaking his own record for most ODI centuries, completing his 50th in the format.
For Kohli, the meeting also fit neatly into the match story. The reunion came at the perfect ending point after he powered RCB’s chase of a big total. Kohli was one of the franchise’s three centurions, and his impact helped RCB post 240/4. Mumbai Indians, despite their efforts, fell short in a controlled but comprehensive manner.
There was extra sting for MI as well: it was the first time the team lost to RCB in back-to-back games at the Wankhede Stadium. Last year, MI had been beaten by 12 runs in their previous meeting there—making the 18-run defeat this time even harder to digest.
