'Reverse swing': Sachin Tendulkar's old post about Zaheer Khan's actual DOB revisited

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan would have turned 43 when had he been celebrating his birthday on Thursday, October 7. The left-arm seamer, who made his debut against Kenya in the 2000 Champions Trophy went on to make a name for himself in international cricket. However, unbeknownst to many, Zaheer Khan's date of birth is not October 7 but October 8, until it was revealed by cricketing legend and his former teammate, Sachin Tendulkar last year.  

Zaheer Khan birthday: Sachin Tendulkar reveals Zaheer birth date

Last year, Sachin Tendulkar had posted an image of himself and Zaheer Khan in which he wished the speedster on the auspicious occasion. The picture also had a very humorous message where he playfully asked the former pacer to reveal his exact birth date by using the term ' Reverse Swing'. During the playing days, Zaheer Khan was considered as one of the best exponents of reverse-swing which bamboozled a number of batsmen.

Both Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan played a crucial role in helping India win the 2011 World Cup. In the final of the mega event, which was played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Tendulkar was dismissed cheaply by former Sri Lanka pacer and Mumbai Indians teammate Lasith Malinga. In that very final, Zaheer Khan bowled an economical spell picking up 2 wickets.

Zaheer Khan international career

Coming to Zaheer Khan's international career, the left-arm bowler, in 2012, played his last ODI and T20I matches respectively. His Test career extended until 2014 when he last played against New Zealand in Wellington. In 92 Tests, 200 ODIs and 17 T20Is, Zaheer ended with 311, 282 and 17 wickets respectively. Zaheer Khan was also handy with the bat, scoring three half-centuries in Test cricket. He also played quite a few seasons in the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

Currently, Zaheer Khan and Sachin Tendulkar are involved with five time IPL champions Mumbai Indians in the second leg of Indian Premier League 2021, which is currently ongoing in the United Arab Emirates. While Zaheer Khan is the Mumbai Indians Director of Cricket Operations, Tendulkar serves as the mentor for the franchisee.