In cricket, my superhero is Sachin Tendulkar. He has always been

Virat Kohli, the warrior of modern cricket, once spoke words both humble and profound: “In cricket, my superhero is Sachin Tendulkar. He has always been my hero and will continue to remain so. Apart from him and outside cricket, my mother has remained my inspiration. Whatever difficult time I had faced, she was always there for me. She has given me all the strength. She maintained her composure and supported me in tough times.” In this confession, we see not only the heart of a son and a disciple, but the eternal truth of how greatness is shaped by both heroes and mothers—by those who inspire from afar, and those who stand beside us in the shadows.

The meaning of these words lies in the two pillars Kohli acknowledges: the public hero who ignites ambition, and the private guardian who sustains the soul. In cricket, Sachin Tendulkar was the blazing sun, illuminating the path of every aspiring player, a figure so towering that he became a living legend. To call him a superhero is no exaggeration, for to millions he embodied what was thought impossible: consistency, humility, and genius in equal measure. Yet, outside the roaring stadiums, Kohli turns to a quieter source—his mother. She, in her quiet strength, provided the nourishment of spirit without which no ambition could endure. Thus he honors both: the idol who shaped his dreams, and the mother who gave those dreams the strength to stand.

The origin of this statement lies deep in Kohli’s own life. As a young boy, he idolized Tendulkar, watching him conquer bowlers across the world. When Kohli eventually walked onto the same pitch wearing the same jersey, it was not as a stranger, but as one who had been guided all along by the vision of his hero. Yet, even as he fulfilled his boyhood dream, life tested him cruelly. When his father passed away suddenly in 2006, Kohli was still a teenager. His world shook, yet his mother’s composure became his anchor. She bore her grief silently, and with steadfast faith, she urged her son forward. Without her strength, perhaps even the dream inspired by Tendulkar might have faltered.

History, too, bears witness to this union of heroic figures and maternal strength. Consider Alexander the Great, who looked to Achilles as his hero and model of greatness, but it was his mother Olympias who nurtured his destiny, whispering into his soul that he was born for glory. Or recall Abraham Lincoln, who revered the founding fathers as his heroes but always confessed, “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” In every age, the pattern repeats: heroes inspire from above, mothers sustain from beneath, and together they shape the greatness of those who come after.

The imagery in Kohli’s words is poignant. Tendulkar as superhero—a shining star of destiny, a symbol of what can be achieved through discipline and genius. And his mother as inspiration—the unshakable tree, standing through storm and drought, offering shelter when the winds of life threatened to break him. Between these two forces, Kohli’s own story was carved: ambition fueled by awe, resilience forged by love. The lesson is that greatness is never solitary; it is the fruit of both admiration and support.

What then shall we take from this? That in our own lives, we must honor both our heroes and our mothers. Let us not imagine that strength comes from ourselves alone. Let us bow to those whose lives awaken our dreams, and to those who, unseen, help us bear the burdens of hardship. Heroes ignite vision, but mothers sustain endurance. To forget either is to misunderstand the true nature of greatness.

Practically, this means cultivating gratitude. Seek out those who inspire you, and let their example call you higher. But do not neglect those who quietly carry you—family, friends, mentors—for their support is the soil from which your growth emerges. Speak your thanks aloud; live in a way that honors their sacrifice. And when you have gained strength, become such a source for others: a hero to some, a steady support to others.

Take Kohli’s words as a guiding torch: draw courage from your heroes, and strength from those who love you. For it is in this balance that dreams are realized and hardships overcome. Let the fire of inspiration guide your path, but let the quiet strength of love hold you steady through the storms. Thus shall your own life become both a light for others and a testament to those who lifted you.