Twitter wishes Anil Kumble as India's champion spinner legend turns 49

One of the greatest cricketers produced by India, Anil Kumble turned 49 on Thursday.

The champion bowler, in a career spanning for about 18 glorious years, stood as one of India's finest match winners.

Bamboozling the batsmen with his craft, Kumble spearheaded the team's spin battery in both Tests and ODIs. With a wicket tally of 619 in the game's longest format, the leggie is India's numero uno and the world's third best on the list of highest wicket takers in Test cricket.

Among the several feats that the Karnataka-based cricketer achieved in his career, his heroic spell against Pakistan, at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, on 7 February 1999, will go down as one of the most remarkable achievements by an Indian cricketer.

In a fond memory for millions of Indian fans around the globe, Kumble had spun a web around the Pakistani players to scalp all 10 wickets in an innings to script history as the second player to accomplish the stunning feat.

A fierce competitor on the field, Kumble even went on to captain the Indian Test side for a brief period before hanging up his boots in 2008. Post retirement, the 49-year-old assumed several roles including the President of Karnataka Cricket Association, Chairman of ICC Cricket Committee, Chief Mentor to Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, and the Head Coach of the Indian Men's Cricket Team.

A member of the coveted ICC Hall of Fame, an Arjuna awardee and a Padma Shri recipient, Kumble continues to inspire thousands of aspiring cricketers in India and elsewehere.

Marking the occasion of his 49th birthday, several cricketers and fans took to Twitter to wish 'Jumbo'.