Pretoria Capitals batter Theunis de Bruyn hadn’t even opened his account when a well-timed Phil Salt straight drive hit Joburg Super Kings fast bowler Alzarri Joseph’s foot only to be deflected towards the stumps. Considering the speed with which Salt had smacked the ball, de Bruyn had no time whatsoever to return back to the crease.
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Although Capitals lost their second wicket inside the powerplay, de Bruyn’s two-ball duck didn’t affect them adversely as Salt ensured to score a match-winning half-century to chase down a 123-run target in 13 overs in SA20 2023 Match 13 in Centurion on Wednesday.
Calling the match for Sports 18 Network, former Indian cricketers Aakash Chopra and Rudra Pratap Singh touched upon a trending debate around a run-out at the non-striker’s end.
Chopra, a staunch observer of the sport, highlighted a hypocrisy with respect to people not questioning the lack of skill in de Bruyn’s run-out but would do the same had a bowler affected a run-out at the non-striker’s end before bowling a delivery.
Sachin Tendulkar posts cheeky tweet for RP Singh’s straight drive running him out in DLF Cup 2006
Singh, who couldn’t remember affecting such a run-out during the course of his 13-year old representative career, remembered an incident where he was in Salt’s place and legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar was in de Bryun’s position.
Chopra, who was amused to learn a tail-ender getting Tendulkar out, asked Singh to apologize on air. Singh then revealed how he had done the same at the moment itself. Chopra, meanwhile, apologized to Tendulkar both while commentating and after the match on social media platform Twitter.
Known for playing cheeky shots behind the stumps, Tendulkar posted a cheeky tweet as a reply to the incident stating how it was the only time when he hated the straight drive before joking how Singh also had the ability of picking a wicket while batting.
For once, the straight drive wasn’t my favorite shot! @cricketaakash @rpsingh bhaiyya toh batting karte samay bhi wicket lete the!😜 https://t.co/azwZ1jf1eB
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 20, 2023
For the unversed, the incident had happened during the fifth match of DLF Cup 2006 against West Indies in Kuala Lumpur. Already struggling at 157/7, India had lost their last recognized batter in the form of Tendulkar in the 37th over when Singh’s shot had deflected off former West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels’ foot to the stumps.
India, however, had successfully defended 163 runs on the back of a collective bowling effort where each of their five bowlers were among the wickets to bundle out the opposition for 146 in 41 overs.
