New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) India’s cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar extended his greetings to the Air Warriors on the 93rd Indian Air Force Day on Wednesday.

Writing in an X post, the former cricketer said, “As the dreams and aspirations of 1.4 billion+ Indians take flight, the Indian Air Force stands guard with courage and dedication, helping our nation soar higher. Proud and honoured to be a part of @IAF_MCC. Happy Indian Air Force Day! Jai Hind!”

The 93rd Indian Air Force Day is being commemorated at Hindon Air Force Station, honouring the bravery and commitment of the men and women in blue who protect the country’s skies.

This year’s celebrations paid special tribute to Operation Sindoor, a significant milestone in the IAF’s history.

Air force personnel performed a grand march past alongside fighter jets displayed on the tarmac, demonstrating the strength and accuracy of India’s air power to the spectators.

The Indian Air Force (IAF), the air branch of India’s military, was officially founded on October 8, 1932, as an auxiliary force of British India.

Its main goal is to protect Indian airspace and carry out aerial combat in times of war. Over the years, it has grown into one of the world’s most powerful air forces.

The Indian cricket team’s current head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and former India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan also shared messages on the micro-blogging platform.

“Salute to the protectors of our skies #IndianAirForceDay,” Gambhir posted.

“A salute to the ones who truly own the skies… Celebrating one of the best Air Force in the world,” former India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan wrote.

On the cricketing front, the Men in Blue will be in action starting October 10 when they take on the West Indies in the second and final Test of the two-match series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

The ODI and T20I squads will then fly to Australia for the three-match ODI series, starting on October 19 in Perth, followed by five T20Is, which will commence on October 29. This provides the two teams with valuable preparation for next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka.

— IANS

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