He aptly called it a 'match made in heaven' as Sachin Tendulkar pleasantly surprised a bunch of youngsters playing gully cricket in Kashmir's Uri.

'Cricket and Kashmir: Match made in heaven,' posted Tendulkar on X along with a short video in which he can be seen facing nine balls, watched in awe by the locals.

His wife Anjali can also be seen smiling in the clip which starts with Tendulkar asking the boys, "Hum Khelein? (Shall we play?)." "Kaun hai tumhara bowler (Who is your bowler)?" he probed further as he gripped a bat.

Dressed in a brown jacket Tendulkar, who retired from cricket in 2013, played nine deliveries, hitting straight drives and also a scoop shot.

There was also an attempted paddle sweep before he turned the bat upside down and jokingly stated, "Ye out karna padega (you will have to dismiss me)."

Even with an upside down bat, Tendulkar was not to be dismissed as he signed off with a smooth drive, fetching a round of applause and several smiles

He wasn't done enthralling the gathered crowd with just his cricket. The iconic former captain, who played six World Cups, took selfies with the fans, giving them a memorable few minutes to cherish.

Tendulkar interacted with soldiers at the Kaman Post, near Aman Setu, during his visit that lasted around one hour, officials said.

He visited a cricket bat manufacturing unit at Chursoo on Srinagar-Jammu national highway and also went to Pahalgam in south Kashmir