The stadium felt like a graveyard after Sachin's dismissal in the final, Virat Kohli reveals in the legend's biopic

Virat Kohli could have hardly predicted the moment. At the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka, chasing a competitive 275, all hopes were pinned on the Master Blaster. But Sachin was dismissed by Lasith Malinga for a mere 18 runs.

As Tendulkar walked towards the pavilion, at two down, a then 22-year-old, Virat nervously walked across the ground towards the pitch, amidst deafening silence. The pressure was palpable and Kohli was feeling it, every second of the way, “Walking into bat after Sachin felt like entering a graveyard”, Kohli can be heard saying in the movie.

What did Sachin tell Virat as he was walking out to bat? “I told Virat that the ball is still swinging because there was dew and the ball had kind of stopped swinging. But that ball (which dismissed Sachin) swung, that’s why I wanted to tell him that”.

Speaking to Sportskeeda and a select few journalists who were invited for his upcoming movie screening, Tendulkar recalled the first few interviews he gave at the beginning of his career. A then naïve Sachin wasn’t the mature campaigner that he is today. Back then, not yet thrust into the bright lights completely, Sachin’s spoke less yet was truly insightful.

“Not much has changed, I still get nervous (laughs). I was not used to all this. I remember I was invited at the India nets to bat against Kapil Dev. After batting, a journalist asked me about Kapil Dev, my answer was he was also good”, he revealed his slip of the tongue.

Tendulkar’s movie is set to release this week and he revealed his movie choices, which kept changing as he got older. His favourites till date are two Marathi classics- Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi, a 1989 comedy film, believe it or not, directed by a man named Sachin and Thartharat which also released in 1989.

“I watch all sorts of movies, during my childhood days I didn’t watch many English movies. Marathi and Hindi for sure, in school days we wanted action, so Top Gun was something that I watched. Me and my friends get together to watch old Marathi movies, we’re planning to watch something in the next few days”, he said.

But fame also has its tradeoffs. Something which Sachin’s children have had to endure as well. Sara and Arjun, his two kids haven’t had the opportunity to live a normal life, unlike kids of their age. But Tendulkar did get the green signal from his kids after they watched the movie.

“It’s been challenging, without a doubt. When people are constantly analysing everything that you do. My childhood was never like that and neither was yours. We obviously have conversations about this at home. Many people want to take photos with them too, I’ve tried to make them understand that it is only out of love”, he explained.