Yuvraj Singh was among Virat Kohli’s former teammates who sent birthday wishes to the star cricketer on the occasion of his 37th birthday.
Virat turned 37 on Wednesday (November 5). Yuvraj won the internet with his wish for Virat as he hailed him as the King. “Once a King, always a King Happy birthday @imVkohli Sending you lots of love for a great year ahead. Stay blessed!” Yuvraj wrote on X.
Yuvraj and Virat played international cricket together for nearly a decade. Yuvraj was part of India’s playing XI on Virat’s ODI debut. Virat lost his place in the ODI team early in his career. He replaced Yuvraj Singh in the 2009 Champions Trophy team following an injury to the star all-rounder.
Both Yuvraj and Virat were part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning campaign. Yuvraj delivered a Player of the Tournament performance. He scored 362 runs and scalped 15 wickets.
Virat made his WC debut with a century against Bangladesh in India’s opening game of the tournament. The right-handed batsman scored a crucial 35 off 49 balls in the final. Yuvraj remained unbeaten on 21 off 24 balls.
Virat was Yuvraj’s captain upon his retirement
Yuvraj Singh lost his place in the ODI team in 2013. He made his much-awaited return to the ODI squad for the home series against England early in 2017. It was Virat’s first series as India’s full-time white-ball captain.
Yuvraj was part of Virat-led Team India for the 2017 Champions Trophy. He also travelled to West Indies but was dropped after the series. He retired from Indian cricket in June 2019.
Yuvraj once credited Virat for his comeback and claimed that it wouldn’t have happened without him. “When I made my comeback in the Indian team, Virat Kohli supported me a lot during his captaincy. If Virat hadn’t supported me, my comeback would never have happened,” Yuvraj said in 2023.