Sachin Tendulkar reveals what he told Kane Williamson at presentation ceremony after World Cup final

Former India captain Sachin Tendulkar was quite visibly involved during the just-concluded World Cup in England and Wales – not as a player but as an expert. He came up with some sharp and refreshing analysis during the games and the world even saluted this serious student of the game because of his perfect prediction of the four semi-finalists. Tendulkar was also present on the podium to hand over the awards after the final of the showpiece event got over.

Tendulkar was seen talking to New Zealand captain Kane Williamson while presenting him the Man of the Series award. The latter was devastated by the manner his team lost the title clash (by the count of boundaries) but yet was graceful enough to accept things as they came. Tendulkar later revealed what he had told the Kiwi skipper while presenting him the award.

Tendulkar too was the man of the series after losing WC final, in 2003

“Your game was appreciated by all and you had a great World Cup,” Sachin Tendulkar, who had been in a somewhat similar situation in the 2003 World Cup, told 100Mb, his official cricket app. In the 2003 edition played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya, Tendulkar was chosen as the player of the series for scoring 673 runs though India ended up as the runners-up, losing to Australia. His record was almost broken by India opener Rohit Sharma who made 648 runs in this edition.

Williamson, on the other hand, scored 578 runs in the tournament with a couple of match-winning hundreds and impressed the cricketing world with his captaincy. Sachin Tendulkar had more words to praise Williamson’s calm composure. “The best thing about Williamson is ability to stay calm. He doesn’t lose his composure in any circumstances. It was unfortunate that he could not win the World Cup but it did not reflect on his face,” he said.

The Master Blaster also picked Williamson as the captain of his World Cup playing XI, something that the ICC too had done. He said the Black Caps skipper has a different perspective to see things. He applauded him for the way he handled his bowlers while defending moderate totals. He also recalled the India-New Zealand semi-final match saying when Ravindra Jadeja was on a rampage, Williamson stayed calm and the result went in his favour.