"Wishing the laughing assassin a very happy birthday"- Special wishes pour in as Gautam Gambhir turns 43
Cricket fraternity members and fans sent warm wishes to former Indian player Gautam Gambhir as he turned 43 today (October 14). He retired from all forms of cricket in 2018 after a 19-year FC career. His last international appearance came during a Test match against England in Rajkot in 2016.
Gambhir played multiple support staff roles with a couple of IPL franchises post-retirement. He was then recently appointed as Team India's head coach following the conclusion of Rahul Dravid's tenure in June. He is currently with the Test squad in Bengaluru as the players prepare for the upcoming three-match series against New Zealand that commences on October 16.
Wishes poured in on X today on the occasion of Gautam Gambhir's 43rd birthday. His former Indian teammate Irfan Pathan led the way with an X post.
"Wishing the laughing assassin @GautamGambhir a very happy birthday. Enjoying seeing you with the team buddy," Irfan Pathan wrote.
Soon, other cricket fraternity members also joined in sending the wishes.
Here are some of them:
"Happy Birthday @GautamGambhir bhai…Looking forward to seeing the Indian team achieve greater heights under your guidance!" Cheteshwar Pujara wrote.
"Happy Birthday @gautamgambhir🎂🎉 A player who has always won millions of hearts with his patience and determination. Your hard work and commitment to the team have always been an inspiration. #HappyBirthdayGauti #Legend #Inspiration #TeamIndia #Gautamgambhir,"Mohammed Shami wrote.
"To the man who taught me how to play with heart and fight with passion. Happy Birthday, @GautamGambhir bhai! You continue to inspire me every day. Wishing you an amazing year ahead filled with everything you deserve!" Nitish Rana wrote.
"Wishing you a fantastic birthday, Gautam Gambhir! You have always led from the front with determination and heart—may this year be filled with the success and happiness you deserve," Mithali Raj wrote.
"Happy birthday to the man whose heart is at the right place…and likes to wear it on his sleeve too. Have a good one, Gautam,"Aakash Chopra wrote.
A look at Gautam Gambhir's stats in international cricket
Gautam Gambhir made his international debut in 2003 during an ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka. He went on to play 147 ODIs and scored 5238 runs at an average of 39.68, including 11 centuries and 34 fifties.
Across 58 Tests, he accumulated 4154 runs at an average of 41.95, including nine centuries and 22 fifties. In 37 T20Is, the 43-year-old has scored 932 runs, hitting seven half-centuries. Gautam Gambhir was part of the Indian teams that won the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup.