[Watch] IPL 2024 commentators extend birthday wishes to Ravi Shastri while mimicking his voice
Former Indian cricketer and renowned commentator Ravi Shastri is celebrating his 62nd birthday today (May 27). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a hilarious video that shows Shastri's fellow commentators wishing him in his style.
Shastri has always come across as an energetic individual and his flair at the toss and in the commentary box is well-documented. The BCCI took a cue from Shastri's life to wish the former all-rounder.
In a short clip shared on social media, former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Matthew Hayden, and Kevin Pietersen, along with renowned broadcaster Harsha Bhogle, were seen enacting Shastri while wishing him on his birthday. All of them were part of the commentary panel during the IPL 2024 final at Chepauk.
The BCCI captioned the video:
"Not a toss update but… 😉 …one legendary and energetic birthday wish for one legendary individual from his fellow commentators 🤗 Wishing a Happy Birthday to the legendary Mr. Ravi Shastri 😎 #TeamIndia | @ravishastriofficial."
Ravi Shastri enjoyed a decorated career with the Indian cricket team, playing for the country between 1981 and 1992. He represented the Men in Blue in 80 Tests and 150 ODIs, amassing 6938 runs combined and picked up 280 international wickets. The lanky all-rounder was part of India's 1983 World Cup-winning side.
Shastri was appointed as the director of the Indian cricket team in 2014. He also served as India's head coach from 2019 to 2021 when the Men in Blue scaled new heights across all formats.
"Nice slap to all those critics" - Ravi Shastri after Mitchell Starc's match-winning performance in IPL 2024 final
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Mitchell Starc copped a lot of criticism for his below-par performance in the league stage of IPL 2024. Many slammed him for not living up to his billing. Incidentally, the Knight Riders shelled out a whopping ₹24.75 crore to acquire his services at the auction in December last year.
He picked up 12 wickets in as many games during the league stage before turning up the heat in the playoffs. He was spectacular with the new ball in Qualifier 1, breaking the SunRisers Hyderabad's backbone with a three-wicket haul. He was equally impressive in the final, scalping two wickets, including dismissing Abhishek Sharma with arguably the ball of the tournament.
Ravi Shastri slammed the critics after Starc's impressive performance in the playoffs. Speaking on air, the former cricketer said:
"Nice slap to all those critics. Just the way he has stepped up in the semis and finals."
Should KKR retain Mitchell Starc for IPL 2025? Let us know in the comments.