Overview
- Sharma, who turned 39 on Thursday, drew birthday tributes from the BCCI, current and former teammates, and his wife Ritika Sajdeh on social media.
- Hardik Pandya said at the toss that Sharma’s hamstring issue needs more time and that he will sit out a couple more Mumbai Indians games.
- Fans at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium sang Happy Birthday during Wednesday’s MI–Sunrisers Hyderabad match in a moment captured in a widely shared video.
- Coverage highlighted his career haul of 508 international matches and more than 20,000 runs, including an ODI-high 11,577 runs with the record 264 and three double centuries.
- Reports noted he has stepped away from Tests and T20Is to focus on ODIs, and analysts say age and fitness could shape whether he features for India at the 2027 World Cup.