'Forever indebted to our great heroes': Tributes pour in from cricketers and IPL franchises on Kargil Vijay Diwas

NEW DELHI: On July 26, India observed the anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas , commemorating the bravery and sacrifice of the Indian armed forces during the 1999 Kargil War . The day marks India’s historic military victory over Pakistan after a grueling three-month conflict in the rugged mountains of Kargil, Ladakh.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.

To honour the valour of the soldiers who fought in one of India’s most challenging battles, several former cricketers and IPL franchises paid heartfelt tributes across social media platforms.

Legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar shared an emotional message in Hindi: "26 saal pahle, humari senawon ne itihaas racha tha. Unka tyaag aur unki veerta humein aaj bhi garv se bhar deti hai. Kargil yudh ke veeron ko humara shat shat naman!" (“26 years ago, our armed forces created history. Their sacrifice and bravery continue to fill us with pride. Salutations to the heroes of the Kargil War!”)

२६ साल पहले, हमारी सेनाओं ने इतिहास रचा था। उनका त्याग और उनकी वीरता हमें आज भी गर्व से भर देती है।

कारगिल युद्ध के वीरों को हमारा शत् शत् नमन!

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) July 26, 2025

Former India batter VVS Laxman also expressed his gratitude, posting: "On #KargilVijayDiwas, salute to the indomitable courage and supreme sacrifice of our soldiers. Forever indebted to our great heroes."

On #KargilVijayDiwas, salute to the indomitable courage and supreme sacrifice of our soldiers. Forever indebted to our great heroes. pic.twitter.com/gxScjUlJs7

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) July 26, 2025

Cricketers weren’t alone in paying homage. IPL teams like Chennai Super Kings , Mumbai Indians , Kolkata Knight Riders, and Delhi Capitals took to social media to honour the warriors of Kargil with powerful visuals, patriotic messages, and heartfelt thank-yous.

To the brave hearts who roared for our nation’s pride,
your courage echoes forever. 🇮🇳🦁#KargilVijayDiwas pic.twitter.com/S8ldcALWp2

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) July 26, 2025

Victory that echoes in every Indian heart. 🇮🇳

Saluting our warriors. 🫡#MumbaiIndians #KargilVijayDiwas pic.twitter.com/j2lbROXHnY

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) July 26, 2025

Saluting the real heroes of the nation 🇮🇳 🙏 pic.twitter.com/s4dNzxtgBl

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) July 26, 2025

Saluting our bravehearts with respect and gratitude this #KargilVijayDiwas! 🫡💙 pic.twitter.com/NCupGvb7YL

— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) July 26, 2025

𝐕𝐚𝐭𝐧𝐚 𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐧𝐚 𝐯𝐞, 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐚 𝐩𝐲𝐚𝐚𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐚,
𝐊𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐮𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢 𝐚𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞, 𝐦𝐚𝐢 𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐛𝐨 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐚 🇮🇳#KargilVijayDiwas #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/dzr42Wo2eJ

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) July 26, 2025

Celebrating our heroes this Kargil Diwas 🇮🇳🫡 pic.twitter.com/MimKklNiK0

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) July 26, 2025

The day stood as a reminder of the unwavering spirit of the Indian Armed Forces and the continued respect they command across all walks of life — including from the cricketing fraternity, which came together to say: Jai Hind.