Virat Kohli, Kevin Pietersen wish PM Narendra Modi on his 71st birthday

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is celebrating his 71st birthday on September 17. Since morning, well wishes have been flowing in from all over the world for the dynamic leader, including from international and domestic cricketing stars. Virat Kohli, the Indian captain, and Kevin Pietersen, the former England skipper, are among those who have extended their best wishes to PM Modi on his special day. Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, and Virender Sehwag are also among the cricketers who took to social media to wish the Indian Prime Minister a happy birthday.

While Kohli extended warm birthday greetings to the prime minister, VVS Laxman wished for his 'good health' so that he could 'continue to serve the nation'. Sachin Tendulkar wished PM Modi a year full of 'good health' and 'happiness'. Former batsman Virender Sehwag also wished for PM Modi's good health and long life. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Narendra Modi was born on September 17, 1950, to the late Damodardas Mulchand Modi and Heeraben Damodardas in Vadnagar, Mehsana, Gujarat. He spent most of his childhood helping his father in selling tea at the Vadnagar Railway Station. He did his schooling in the SSC board, Gujarat, and completed his secondary education by 1967. At the age of eight, Modi joined Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Later, he left home at the age of 17 and wandered across the country. Especially visited ashrams founded by Swami Vivekananda. After two long years, he returned to Vadnagar and again left home, to live with his uncle in Ahmedabad, who worked in the canteen at the Gujarat State Road Transport.

PM Modi's grit and determination helped him quickly climb the ladder of hierarchy in the BJP ranks, which made him one of the top contenders to become the next chief minister of Gujarat in the early 2000s when the then CM Keshubhai Patel's health started deteriorating. PM Modi worked as Gujarat's CM for three terms before taking a step further and entering national politics with a bang. BJP won the 2014 parliamentary elections by a landslide and Modi was elected the prime minister. 

(Image: PIBIndia/Twitter)