Shahid Afridi dismissed by Dinesh Mongia on '26th' birthday after scoring 9 runs: WATCH

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is widely regarded as one of the greatest limited-overs all-rounders to have ever graced the game. On Monday, March 1, the legendary cricketer turned 41, at least as per the ICC records. However, Afridi took to Twitter and while he thanked his fans for the birthday wishes, he revealed his age to be 44.

On the occasion of Shahid Afridi’s birthday, here is a look back at the time when Indian part-timer Dinesh Mongia dismissed him cheaply in a 2003 World Cup game, i.e. on the day when the all-rounder turned 26 and not 23.

ICC congratulates on Shahid Afridi birthday

Also Read | Mohammad Kaif, Gautam Gambhir Recall 1st Impressions Of MS Dhoni Before 2004 India Debut

Throwback to India vs Pakistan World Cup classic from Shahid Afridi’s 26th birthday

On March 1, 2003, Shahid Afridi turned 26 and took field for Pakistan in a high-voltage World Cup match against India. His birthday occasion turned out to be a disappointing one for him as he failed with the bat and was unsuccessful to stop the Indian run-chase with the ball later that same day.

Playing at Centurion, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first. Arriving at the crease in the 41st over of the innings, Shahid Afridi scored just nine runs before succumbing to Indian part-timer Dinesh Mongia. The ‘Men in Green’ posted 273-7, and the total was eventually chased down by the Indians with more than four overs to spare.

Video source: Nitin Tyagi YouTube

'Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar top-scored for the victors with 98. After the dismissals of Mohammad Kaif and Tendulkar, an unbeaten partnership between Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh guided them to a comfortable six-wicket win.

Also Read | Amid Pitch Controversy, Virat Kohli's 'no Excuses' Video From 2018 SA Tour Goes Viral

Shahid Afridi birthday: All-rounder thanks fans, spills real age

Also Read | Prithvi Shaw Fails To Cash In On 227*, Dismissed For 2 By To-be KKR Bowler Vaibhav Arora

Shahid Afridi stats in international cricket

The Shahid Afridi stats in international cricket makes for a staggering read. The Pakistan veteran played just 27 Tests where he scored 1,716 runs with five tons, eight fifties and bagged 48 wickets to his name. His record in ODI cricket, however, is spectacular to say the least.

Afridi featured in 398 ODIs and 99 T20Is for Pakistan where he aggregated 8,064 and 1,416 runs respectively. He also collected 395 ODI and 98 T20I wickets. Notably, throughout his career, he struck 476 international sixes which puts him at the second spot in the list of most sixes in career behind Chris Gayle (534).

Also Read | Michael Atherton Picks The 'ball' Of The Ahmedabad Test Match Featuring R Ashwin

Image source: PTI