If there is one person who is passionate enough about cricket but does not play the game, it has to be the birthday boy Gaurav Kapur. After all, he has been 'the man' for hosting the Extra Innings T20 shows before and after Indian Premier League matches since 2011. Gaurav is one of those rare and gifted anchors who has proven that he is irreplaceable and also that he is the first choice when it comes to anchoring shows with wit, presence of mind and clean humour. And born on April 11, 1981, Gaurav is the coolest 80s kid, who turns 39 years old today. Yuvraj Singh Relives Dinesh Karthik’s Hilarious Encounter With 'Dada' Sourav Ganguly During India vs Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy Match in 2004!.

And on the eve of the celebrated anchor's birthday, here are some fact that you need to know about the star anchor.

Gaurav's tryst with hosting began at 17 when he got the opportunity to be on FM, and then host travel shows and eventually became a Channel VJ.

He was noticed by filmmakers and went on to do movies like Darna Mana Hai (debut), Kudiyon Ka Hai Zamana, Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag, A Wednesday, Chala Musaddi - Office Office and Kai Po Che. Yuvraj Singh's 38th Birthday Celebrations in Thailand: Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Ajit Agarkar and Zaheer Khan To Make Yuvi's Day Special!.

However, it was his stint with the IPL that has won him immense applause. Known for his effortless hosting skills, Gaurav is credited for simplifying the cricket jargons that experts use and convey the message to the viewers.

 

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#TrueStory 😎 @live_mint @spotifyindia @oaktreesport #22YARNSwithGK 🎙

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Gaurav is also credited for making the term 'Brother from another mother’ popular in India by using it in his IPL shows.

Gaurav's show Breakfast with Champions was an immediate success with the viewers going gaga over the host interviews the likes of Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya among others.

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I tried to bowl a bouncer ... but you can’t rattle #TheWall 🙌 Happy birthday Champion 🥳 #rahuldravid #BreakfastWithChampions

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This led to Gaurav revealing in an interview that his production house Oak Tree Creative Solutions was producing a show on similar lines with Gaurav interviewing non-cricket sports personalities in order to bring to light other sports apart from cricket.

Gaurav's Breakfast with Champions is the only show apart from A.R.Rahman's ARRived that has made it to the YouTube Originals list.

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Gaurav has also had the privilege of hosting the Nat Geo programme on ISRO's Chandrayaan Mission.

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Gaurav remains one of the most sought after Indian sports anchors of all times and why not. His sharp wit never ceases to exist nor does his skill of noticing even the minutest of things on the field and bringing it to the notice of his audience.  Happy Birthday Gaurav Kapur.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 11, 2020 11:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).