It was only fitting for a mystery which started during ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 to have found a clarification right before the start of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. In these four years, a swarm of fans have tried to put forward different types of rationale in the hope of trying to figure out whose hand laid on India wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant‘s shoulder in a viral photo.
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Captioned “Boys’ day out”, less did the current India ODI vice-captain Hardik Pandya would’ve thought that just another photo uploaded by him would receive an immense amount of traction across social media platforms. This engagement hasn’t only been restricted for Pandya’s social media handles but been shared by anyone who asked a question pertinent to it, i.e., Whose hand is it on Pant’s shoulder?
For the unversed, the photo was uploaded by Pandya a couple of days before India’s last league match of the tournament against Sri Lanka in Leeds. While Pandya was clicking a selfie, the likes of Pant, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah and Mayank Agarwal were all happily posing for the lens.
Depending on how you perceived the image, the two most common perceptions had revolved around either Bumrah or Agarwal keeping a hand on Pant’s left shoulder.
4 Years After Hardik Pandya’s Original Tweet, Mayank Agarwal Solves Mystery Around Hand On Rishabh Pant’s Shoulder
Agarwal, however, has finally put an end to all the guesswork which has lasted for well over four years now. Taking to the same platform where it all started, Agarwal’s latest post on X (formerly Twitter) confirms that it is his left hand on Pant’s shoulder.
“After years of extensive research, debates, and countless conspiracy theories, let the nation finally know : it is MY hand on @RishabhPant17 shoulder,” Agarwal tweeted on Thursday. Not ready to accept any other answer, an adamant Agarwal has put it on record that “any other claim made is misleading and not true.”
Asked the same question during an #AskDK session earlier in the day, readers must note that veteran India wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik had also attempted to solve the puzzle but his take on the same was based on people needing to ask Pant.
Fans Joke About The Length Of Mayank Agarwal’s Arm
Not surprisingly, taking into consideration the distance between Agarwal and Pant in the image, fans couldn’t help themselves but take hilarious digs at the length of Sunrisers Hyderabad‘s batter’s arm comparing it with kanoon [law].
For the uninitiated, the comparison was made with reference to an age-old Hindi dialogue kanoon ke haath bahut lambe hote hai [hands of the law are very lengthy].
Both Rishabh Pant and Mayank Agarwal Weren’t Part Of India’s 2019 World Cup Squads
Not part of the current Indian team, both Pant and Agarwal weren’t part of the original Indian squad for 2019 World Cup either. While Pant was added to a 15-member squad midway into the tournament after opening batter Shikhar Dhawan was ruled out due to a thumb injury, Agarwal was handed a surprise call-up as all-rounder Vijay Shankar’s replacement despite having not played a single ODI at the time.
Still recovering from a car crash, Pant hasn’t played a competitive match in the last nine months. Agarwal, on the other hand, had played the last of his 26 international matches across formats over 18 months ago.
