Former India pacer Ashish Nehra turns 43 today, 29 April. The left-arm pacer, who made his debut in 1999 in a Test match against Sri Lanka is currently the head coach of debutant team Gujarat Titans in the on-going edition of the Indian Premier League.

Born in 1979 in New Delhi, Nehra has represented India in all formats of the game. The pacer had the ability to swing the ball both ways and had subtle variations in his armoury as well.

The pacer made his Test debut in 1999. Nehra had to wait for his ODI debut until 2001, when he played his maiden game against Zimbabwe at Harare. In his career, he has played 120 ODIs with 157 wickets to his name. The left-arm pacer also played for India in the T20 format, where he picked up 34 wickets in 27 matches.

As the pacer turns a year older, below are few wishes for the cricketer:

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wished the star player on his birthday, while highlighting his records in international matches.

The official handle of Gujarat Titans also wished the pacer with a note saying “To the smile that lights up our heart”.  

Even the official handle of Delhi Capitals wished the cricketer a great year, and praised his career “from being a vital cog of the 2011 World Cup winning team to receiving a good farewell at Qila Kotla”.

Here are few more reactions on his special day:  

Nehra has proudly been part of the Men in Blue in major ICC tournaments such as 2011 World Cup as well as three Champions Trophies and two Asia Cups for the nation. After a 18-year-long career in international cricket, Nehra hung his boots after playing his last T20 match at Feroz Shah Kotla.