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Sri Lankan cricketer Isuru Udana wins hearts with his gesture

Sri Lankan cricketer Isuru Udana wins hearts with his gesture

Dec 12, 2019
12:59 pm

What's the story

Sri Lankan bowler Isuru Udana won hearts of millions when he displayed true colors of sportsmanship in the Mzansi Super League. Playing for Paarl Rocks, Udana had a chance to run out a batsman of his rival team Nelson Mandela Bay Giants, but he chose not to. Judging by the situation Udana felt that it would be harsh on the batsman. Here is more.

The incident

Udana refuses to run-out a batsman despite having a chance

During the match, as Udana bowled to Heino Kuhn of the Giants, the latter went for a big shot. However, the ball instead crashed into his non-striking partner Marco Marais, who was going for the run and was out of his crease. Marais momentarily collapsed on the pitch, giving Udana ample time to run him out. However, he chose not to.

Twitter Post

A display of true sportsmanship from Udana

Twitter Post

Is this the opposite of Mankading?

Twitter Post

Spirit kept alive by a proud Sri Lankan

Match report

How did the match pan out?

Winning the toss and electing to bowl, the Giants bowlers had a bad day at the office, as the Rocks posted 168/5, courtesy opener Cameron Delport's 39, while Imran Tahir claimed 2/14. In reply, the Giants could manage 156/6, despite Kuhn's fighting 58, as the bowling of Ferisco Adams (3/36) was enough to seal the win for the Rocks.

Spirit questioned

Why is the spirit being questioned nowadays?

Cricket has always been known as the gentlemen's game. Unfortunately, with the over-commercialization of the game, sportsmanship has become a victim. The notable instance was when Ravichandran Ashwin Mankaded Jos Buttler in IPL 2019. Hopefully, Udana's gesture will motivate young cricketers to play the game with the right spirit.