When Sanju Samson revealed on Sunday that he had turned to Sachin Tendulkar for guidance ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup, it offered a reminder of a long-standing pattern in Indian cricket. Across generations, players from both the men’s and women’s games have leaned on Tendulkar’s experience during defining moments of their careers, often crediting the batting legend’s advice for helping them regain clarity and confidence.
The impact soon became evident. Samson responded with a remarkable tournament, scoring three fifties and finishing as Player of the Tournament as India lifted the 2026 T20 World Cup.
1. Virat Kohli
After enduring a difficult tour to England in 2014, where he scored only 134 runs in 10 innings, Kohli sought out Tendulkar to help improve his game ahead of sterner future assignments.
The former India captain later revealed that instead of focusing on technical adjustments, Tendulkar urged Kohli to trust his own methods before going out to bat.
“Last year, after returning from the England tour, I was working on my batting in the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai, and I requested him to come along because I wanted to speak to him about batting in general and pick his mind on how he dealt with difficult times.”
Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar discuss their craft at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata back in 2013. Express photo by Partha Paul
“That was more important to me than going into the technical part. It was about how he used to cope with such times. When life is changing, when people want to talk to you or want to meet you more, how did he handle it? One thing he told me was, “You should always do what works for you.” Before the game, if you do not feel like batting in the nets, don’t bat in the nets. You should never do it just because other people are batting for half an hour in the nets. He said he always did what he felt comfortable doing,” Kohli told The Cricket Monthly in 2015.
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A few months after picking Tendulkar’s brains, Kohli had an outstanding tour of Australia, where in four Tests he made four hundreds, including a century in each innings on his Test captaincy debut at Adelaide.
2. Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina had played international cricket for almost 12 years. But in 2017, he found himself on the crossroads as far as his place in the Indian team was concerned. In such circumstances, he consulted Tendulkar for help, who was generous enough to pass on a few words of wisdom.
“I was feeling low in between, so I messaged him one day saying, ‘I want to come to Mumbai. Can you spend some time with me?’ Despite his busy calendar, he spared some time for me. I spent a few days with Sachin paaji, I practiced with him for three hours daily. He told me I am batting well, and my feet are moving nicely. I’m looking more compact. I saw the videos, my head position is coming nicely,” Raina told The Indian Express in 2017.
A year later, the southpaw made his way back into the Indian team for the tour to England in 2018.
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3.Yuvraj Singh
A few months before the 2011 ODI World Cup, Yuvraj Singh was enduring a difficult time, with the lack of consistency not bringing the best out of him with both bat and ball. The all-rounder sought out Tendulkar during his phase and later recalled what he told him.
“In my tough times, I just spoke to Sachin about my issues with batting and form and fitness, and he told me that you will matter when it matters the most. That is a very special thought; it remains with me.”
“I remember I have a picture of me and Tendulkar together, which I have put in my locker. I used to have a look at that picture and go into bat. He is my inspiration,” Yuvraj said in 2012.
Yuvraj went on to produce one of the greatest all-round performances in World Cup history, scoring 362 runs and taking 15 wickets to be named Player of the Tournament.
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4. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill had not played a full series in England before the 2025 tour, where he was also set to lead India for the first time in Test cricket. Before he embarked on the trip, he spoke to Tendulkar, who gave him a few tips to succeed in those conditions.
“I spoke to Sachin Sir and also took the (phone) number from Matthew Wade (who played with Gill in the IPL team) and spoke to Steve Smith. Both said the same thing: defend straight and score square,” Gill said.
The result was Gill scoring 754 runs in five Tests, including four hundreds and leading India to a 2-2 draw in the five-Test series.
5. Harmanpreet Kaur
India had reached the ODI World Cup final for the first time in eight years after beating Australia in the semi-final. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur would go on to lead the side to a historic maiden World Cup triumph by beating South Africa in the final at Navi Mumbai.
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The right-hander would speak about how Tendulkar called her before the final and offered advice on staying balanced on the big day.
“The night before the match, Sachin (Tendulkar) sir called. He shared his experience and asked us to keep our balance. When the game is going fast, just slow it down a little”.
“Try and control it because when you go too fast, chances are you can stumble. That is what we need to avoid. I was just thinking of all the advice I was getting from the seniors. To keep control, stay patient, the moment will come, and you will be able to grasp it,” Kaur told The ICC Review Show after winning the tournament.
6. Shafali Verma
Shafali Verma was drafted in as a replacement for the injured Pratika Rawal ahead of the ODI World Cup semi-final against Australia. The right-hander later revealed meeting Tendulkar before the final had boosted her immensely.
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“When I saw him (Tendulkar), it gave me an incredible boost. I kept talking to him and he kept giving me confidence. He is the master of cricket, and we keep getting inspired just looking at him,” Verma said after the win.
The opening batter put in a Player of the Match performance in the final, scoring 87 from 78 balls and taking 2/36 with the ball.
