India legend Sachin Tendulkar shared an emotional message for former captain Virat Kohli ahead of his 100th Test match, scheduled to be played in Mohali from March 2. Kohli has played 99 Test matches and will join the 100-Test club during India’s first Test match against Sri Lanka, which starts in Mohali on Friday.

In his message to Kohli, Sachin spoke about the time when he had first heard Virat Kohli’s name and shared an anecdote from India’s 2011 tour of Australia. Sachin said that Virat had told him back in 2011 that he wanted to focus on his fitness.

The Master Blaster @sachin_rt congratulates @imVkohli on his milestone.

Listen in to that special anecdote from 2011.#VK100 pic.twitter.com/nDPsLDq3Fr

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 3, 2022

“The first time I heard about you is when we were in Australia in 2007. You guys were playing the U-19 World Cup in Malaysia. That’s when there were certain players in the team who were discussing about you, that this is one player to watch out for, ‘achhi batting karta hai,” Sachin said in his message to Virat Kohli in the video.

Virat Kohli is not just a role model of excellence as a cricketer but also an inspiration to all budding athletes when it comes to fitness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. His dedication towards remaining fit and setting high standards on the field has rubbed off on his teammates as well.

“We were in Australia in 2011. We were in Canberra and precisely remember that wahan par Ek Thai restaurant tha. We used to go there and have a nice scrumptious meal. On one of the evenings, we were going back to the hotel. We were walking back and he said Paji bahut ho gaya, ab fitness par dhyan dena hai. And I have to say that you have left no stone unturned. You have been a terrific role model as far as fitness is concerned,” Tendulkar added.