Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma extend special wishes on India's 77th Republic Day

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma (Source:X)India is celebrating its 77th Republic Day today with pride, patriotism, and celebrations across the country. This year’s Republic Day theme is ‘150 Years of Vande Mataram’. The main celebrations are being held at Kartavya Path in New Delhi, where President Droupadi Murmu is presiding over the parade.Adding global significance to the occasion, the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, are the Chief Guests at the Republic Day ceremony.As the nation celebrated the historic day, members of the Indian cricket fraternity also joined in by sharing heartfelt wishes on social media.Virat Kohli shares special Republic Day messageStar batter Virat Kohli extended warm Republic Day greetings to fans by sharing a special message on Instagram Stories. Kohli posted a short video wishing the nation on the occasion, which quickly gained attention from fans across the country.Virat Kohli’s connection with Republic Day holds a special place in cricket history. He remains the first Indian cricketer to score a Test century on Republic Day. The milestone came on January 26, 2012, during the Test match against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. Kohli scored 116 runs in the first innings, standing tall despite India losing the match by 298 runs. Virat Kohli’s knock remains the only Test century scored by an Indian on Republic Day.Rohit Sharma extends patriotic greetings on InstagramFormer Indian captain Rohit Sharma also shared his Republic Day wishes on Instagram Stories. He posted a picture of himself wearing a helmet, with the tricolour highlighted, symbolising pride and respect for the nation.It is important to note that Rohit Sharma has recently been awarded the Padma Shri for his contributions to Indian cricket. Under his leadership, India won the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, making him one of India’s most successful captains in recent times.Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir send strong messages of unityLegend Sachin Tendulkar took to X (formerly Twitter) to wish the nation. "Our Republic stands on the strength of its people and the ideals we uphold together. Wishing every Indian a Happy Republic Day. May our shared commitment to the nation always come first! Jai Hind,” he wrote.Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir also shared a strong message, emphasising national unity. “We have one Constitution. We should also have just one identity – INDIAN!” Gambhir posted.Irfan Pathan also shared his picture with the national flag and wrote, "Happy Republic Day! Let us honor our Constitution and the sacrifices of our heroes. Proud to be an Indian. Jai Hind."On the other hand, Yuvraj Singh also wished fans on Republic Day- "My pride for Mother India comes from knowing what our country has given me and from reminding myself every day to give something back to our great nation. May we all carry this sense of pride forward and contribute to nation-building in our own unique ways. Jai Hind,"