Despite plenty of crucial knocks, the spotlight hasn't always been on Gautam Gambhir. But on the occasion of his 35th birthday, the southpaw who recently made his Test comeback after two years was the centre of everyone's attention as cricketers from around the world wished him.
In an international career that has spanned more than 13 years, Gambhir has amassed more than 10,000 international runs and played more than 200 matches across Tests, ODIs and T20Is. While his tally of ODI runs is the most across all formats that he has scored, it is his Test average that is his personal best.
A tally of over 5000 runs at an average of nearly 40 and strike rate of 85 are solid numbers for any opener in ODIs. And when you combine that with over 4,000 Test runs at over 42 in 57 Tests, you have a reliable opener which most international teams can’t boast.
But Gambhir’s endearing memory in an Indian jersey is not the amount of runs that he has scored but his contribution to India’s two world titles in the space of four years. If his fifty in the World T20 final in 2007 set the game up for India, his 97 in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka helped India chase a target that many deemed impossible before the second innings began.
Here is a collection of wishes from the cricket fraternity:
Sachin Tendulkar:
Anil Kumble:
Harsha Bhogle:
Vijay Dahiya:
Harbhajan Singh:
Tillakaratne Dilshan:
Virender Sehwag has made a name for himself by coming up with witty wishes, but for his long-time opening partner, he kept it simple, much his like his approach to the game:
And it is fair to say that even Gambhir was surprised by Sehwag’s wish, as he said so in response to his opening partner’s tweet.
KKR owner Shah Rukh also wished Gambhir
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