India Under-19 captain Ayush Mhatre received a memorable honour from cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar after leading India to their record sixth U19 World Cup title in Zimbabwe. Following the team’s victory over England in the final, Mhatre returned to Mumbai and paid a visit to Tendulkar, who presented him with a deeply personal gift — his own Test jersey from his final international series. The gesture was meant to inspire the young cricketer to aim for success at the senior level.

Along with the jersey, Tendulkar offered words of advice, telling Mhatre: “Keep working hard. Focus. Don’t get carried away by people. Keep practising. Focus has to be there. There will be plenty of distractions, whatever they may be.” He also wrote a note on the jersey saying, “Dear Ayush, wishing you all the success in your career.”

Mhatre shared his emotions on social media, writing: “I grew up watching you through a screen. Today, I stand at your home, holding a piece of your journey in my hands. Thank you, Sir, for this honour. I will carry this with the same respect you carried Indian cricket for years.”

The U19 team received a warm welcome back home, with celebrations held for Mhatre in Virar. On the field, he played a key role in India’s triumph, scoring vital half-centuries in both the semi-final and final, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi starred as Player of the Tournament. (With inputs from Agencies)