Despite being, arguably the best side of this World Cup, India fell short of the title in the final stage on Sunday. A day after the heartbreaking loss, legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar said that it was “one bad day” for India in an “otherwise sterling tournament.”
“Hard luck Team India, just one bad day in an otherwise sterling tournament can be heartbreaking. I can imagine the agony of the players, fans and well-wishers and what they must be going through. Losses are a part of the sport but let us remember that this unit gave their all for us throughout the tournament,” Tendulkar wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
On Australia’s fine show, Tendulkar said, “Congratulations to Australia on their sixth World Cup win. On the most important day of the biggest stage, they played better cricket.”
After the game, Tendulkar was spotted consoling a visibly dejected Rohit Sharma and his team.
Before the final face-off, Tendulkar gifted Kohli the iconic number 10 jersey that he wore in his last ODI fixture against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has shared a few pictures of Kohli holding the jersey. “A special occasion and a special pre-match moment. There’s a class written all over this gesture! The legendary Sachin Tendulkar gifts Virat Kohli his signed jersey from his last ODI,” read the text attached to the post.
Kohli was awarded the Player Of The Tournament Award for his top-class performance. During the semis clash against New Zealand, he scripted history by becoming the first cricketer with 50 ODI hundreds under his belt. The previous record was held by his childhood hero Tendulkar.