The group stage of the 10th season of the Indian Premier League has come to an end after 6 weeks of gripping action and cricketainment. There have been a few brilliant gestures during this IPL which have won the hearts of the fans and critics alike. These are the incidents which brought a smile to the faces of the thousands of people watching the beautiful game we call cricket. We enlist the Top five moments from this season’s IPL so far.
5) HAPPY BIRTHDAY MASTER BLASTER
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is more than just a cricketer for most Indians. He is the face of cricket. He is the pride of India. He is the God of a religion known as cricket. Indians are known to avidly worship their Gods. S.R Tendulkar is no exception. While hearing the chants of ‘Sachiiin Sachiiiin’ is not new for the legend, he was pleasantly surprised when the entire Wankhede Stadium sung the Happy Birthday song for their favourite son when he was cutting the cake with Matthew Hayden by his side on 24th April when MI was taking on RPS.
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The Master had turned 44 and the crowd left no stone unturned to try and make him feel special as always. Sachin looked a bit overwhelmed with this gesture and thanked the spectators for their gesture. This incident proves that Tendulkar continues to have a special place in every Indian’s heart even after 4 years of retiring from international cricket. It was indeed a heart-touching moment and will not be forgotten too soon.
4) I WALK WHEN I’M OUT
In a generation that is immensely dependent on Decision Review System or other technologies, this man is a legend who chooses to play by the rules and not make the umpire’s job any tougher. Most batsmen these days prefer to walk only when the umpire raises his finger but not Hashim Amla. He is the gentleman of the gentleman’s game and he proved this once again in the match against RCB at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Young Indian left-arm pacer, Aniket Choudhury ran in to bowl the first over of the match. Hashim Amla had been the best batsman of the KXIP scoring the most number of runs. He ended with 2 centuries in the tournament – the only man to do so in IPL 10. In Match 43, Choudhury’s ball edged Amla’s bat slightly and was caught by the wicket-keeper. Due to the loud noise made by the Chinnaswamy crowd, the knick was not heard by anyone. Thereby, there was almost no appeal for the catch. Hashim Amla knew that he had knicked it and decided to walk. A surprised Aniket looked on as Virat Kohli seemed to be a bit pleasantly shocked at the honesty of this great human being. Perhaps we could all learn about sportsman spirit from the South African great.
3) SENIORS LIKE US SHOULD NOT BEHAVE LIKE THIS BROTHER
During a match between the Sunrisers and Knight Riders at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, things got heated up in the middle when the experienced KKR batsman Robin Uthappa got involved in some banter with young Indian pacer Sidharth Kaul. With KKR trying to chase down a mammoth total of 208, the scoreboard pressure got to Robin who gave a gentle push to the youngster with his shoulder. A bewildered Kaul looked on in shock.
Yuvraj Singh was certainly not impressed with this behavior of Uthappa. The clouds opened up soon and there was a rain-break. While walking off the field during this rain-break, Yuvraj Singh could be seen having an arm around Robin and explaining to him why he should restrain himself from targeting youngsters on the field. Yuvraj was talking and explaining his concerns to Uthappa like a good friend in a calm and composed manner which was very heartening to see. Yuvi and Robbie have been friends on and off the field ever since their younger days and had both been instrumental in India lifting the 2007 World T20 Cup. Yuvraj’s handling of the situation was indeed commendable and Robbie’s acceptance of his concerns was good to see at the end of the day.
2) HEY MATE! HERE’S YOUR SHOE
A funny yet heart-warming incident happened during the match between Gujarat Lions and Sunrisers Hyderabad during the initial phase of the IPL. SRH were chasing a modest total of 136 in Match 6 of the IPL at Hyderabad. David Warner and Moises Henriques were cruising along and looked set to take Sunrisers to a huge win.
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During the closing stages of the game, young Indian pacer Basil Thampi was bowling his first over in the Indian Premier League as he was making his debut. After delivering one of the balls, Thampi dived trying to field off his own bowling but failing. While doing so, one of his shoes came off and landed on David Warner’s running path. While taking the quick single, Warner decided to do something unique as he went out of his way to pick up Thampi’s show and give it back to him before completing the run. The crowd roared in laughter and applause as this gesture of the Australian was well-appreciated and Warner was held to be a true sportsman. Some saw the funnier side of the incident and took to social media to share the incident and have a laugh.
1) IT WAS RISHABH PANT DAY. WELL PLAYED YOUNG MAN.
The latest youngster in the blocks is definitely the 19-year old swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant. He has been an extremely promising talent for a while now. In Match 42 between Gujarat Lions and Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla, the Delhi team was chasing a mammoth total of 208 when Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson came together and smashed the GL bowlers to all corners of the ground. They had a huge 143 run partnership which was instrumental in Daredevils pulling off a stunning victory.
Pant went berserk and scored 97 runs in just 43 balls hitting 9 sixes and 6 fours during his innings. However, he was dismissed by Basil Thampi towards the end of the match on 97 and he fell 3 runs short of becoming the youngest IPL centurion ever. He knicked the ball to Dinesh Karthik. Pant was dismayed and couldn’t believe that he had missed out on a well-deserved century. Seeing the disappointment on the face of the talented teenager, GL captain Suresh Raina went up to Pant and seemed to be consoling him and probably saying that it was an absolutely amazing innings and he had no reason to be disappointed. 100 is not that important. Raina patted his helmet in an attempt to make Pant feel a bit better before joining his teammates. This act of Suresh Raina won the hearts of all the people who saw a senior breaking the boundaries between teams and going ahead to make a youngster feel better. Raina has been known for his sportsman spirit and he did not disappoint at all. It comes as no surprise that Gujarat Lions are on top of the IPL Fair Play award list. Raina, in the post match interaction, rightly said, “It was Rishabh Pant day.”
