Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma wants youngsters to grab chances with key players being ruled out of the competition. Pictured: Ishant Sharma of Rising Pune Supergiants in action during an IPL match between Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on April 14, 2016.IANS

Ishant Sharma, one of the most towering Indian fast bowlers ever, turned 28 on Friday. The India cricket team star, as usual, was greeted by one and all, but one person who stole the attention with his wit once again was former cricketer Virender Sehwag.

Ishant, who was seen playing last with the India cricket team in the four-match Test series against West Indies last month, has seen his legs pulled by several cricketers. In June, on the day of Ishant's engagement to basketball player Pratima Singh, the lanky pacer found himself at the receiving end of a witty congratulatory message from good friend and national teammate Rohit Sharma.

Rohit had made fun of his teammate as Ishant had turned up to the engagement ceremony in New Delhi without having his trademark locks chopped off.

On Friday too, Sehwag, known for his unique style of humour, which he himself refers to as "Viru ka gyaan", mentioned Ishant as a "Baal waale Burj Khalifa" [a hairy Burj Khalifa], while wishing him on his birthday. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest skyscraper in the world, holding a total of 163 floors, and Sehwag drew a simile for Ishant, who stands in at 1.93 m.

"Hpy Bdy #BaalWaaleBurjKhalifa Ishant Sharma,the best #SharmajiKaLadka, jiske selection Se everyone is super happy [sic]," tweeted Sehwag. [Translation: Ishant Sharma's selection in the team makes everyone super happy].

Ishant made his Test debut for India in May 2007 against Bangladesh. So far, he has plied his trade in 72 Test matches and has picked up 209 wickets. In ODIs, he has 115 wickets from 80 matches as of now, while in T20Is, he has eight wickets from 14 games.

Apart from Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar as well as his fellow teammates joined to wish Ishant Sharma on his 28th birthday.