New Delhi, April 24: Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar on Saturday urged the citizens, who have recovered from COVID-19, to come forward and donate plasma in order to fight the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Tendulkar, who is celebrating his 48th birthday, thanked everyone for the wishes and opened up about his battle with COVID-19. The former Indian batsman had tested positive for coronavirus in March. He was then shifted to the hospital. The Master Blaster returned home after being discharged and was in isolation. Sachin Tendulkar Thanks Fans for Birthday Greetings, Urges Recovered COVID-19 Patients to Donate Plasma (Watch Video).

Sachin Tendulkar Urges COVID-19 Survivors To Donate Plasma

"Thank you, everyone, for your birthday wishes. It's truly made my day. The last month has been a tough month for me, I was tested positive and has to be isolated for 21 days. Your good wishes, my family and friends' good wishes, and last but not the least the doctors and the staff kept me in a positive frame of mind and helped me recover," Tendulkar said in a video posted on his Twitter.

"Big thank you all of you. Last year I had inaugurated a plasma donation center and their message was if plasma is given at the right time patients can recover faster. I too when permissible would be donating plasma, I have had a word with my doctor," he further said.

"All of those who have recovered from COVID-19, consult your doctor, and when permissible please donate blood. With this, problems we are facing can be reduced. Please donate blood and help fellow Indians," Tendulkar added.

Meanwhile, India recorded 3,46,786 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike since the pandemic broke out last year. According to the official data issued by the Union Health Ministry, the country has recorded 2,624 new deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

The country's total infection count has mounted to 1,66,10,481 cases, while 1,89,544 people have succumbed to the viral infection so far.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)