At the end of the day, cricket is a sport, and everyone must remember that. Whatever happens on the field has to stay on the field, and there will be a life outside for every member involved. Unfortunately, this aspect gets forgotten often. It is here that an act or two on sportsmanship can go a long way in making the game healthy to watch.
While IPL has had its share of controversies, there have been countless memorable moments too. Most of these are due to the brilliant acts of sportsmanship exhibited by the cricketers. It is always excellent to witness such instances. In this article, we talk about the five best acts of sportsmanship in IPL history.
5. Buttler and Parthiv don’t run after Lynn suffers injury
It was the game between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2017. MI was batting, and Jos Buttler and Parthiv Patel were at the crease. A ball went close to the boundary but trying to recover it, Chris Lynn injured his shoulder.
Although Buttler and Parthiv had plenty of time to milk the situation to get more runs, the duo did not do that. Instead, they stopped running and allowed Lynn to be attended. This was a special moment that was savoured by many.
4. MSD walks back without waiting for the umpire’s decision
MS Dhoni is one of the greatest examples of sportsmanship in world cricket. While we have seen plenty of moving acts from his end in the Indian jersey, MSD has not been far behind in IPL, too.
In 2017, MS Dhoni was playing for the Rising Pune Supergiant. While he was facing the bowling of Kuldeep Yadav, MSD knicked it to the wicket-keeper Sheldon Jackson. Although KKR started appealing to the umpire, the decision was yet to be made. However, surprising many, the ‘Captain Cool’ starting walking away from the crease. This way, MSD showed youngsters how the game has to be played.
3. Hashim Amla doesn’t wait for RCB’s appeal
Hashim Amla has always been a gentleman on and off the field. Yet again, in one particular game in the IPL, the South African showed his class. This happened against RCB while Amla was representing KXIP.
Amla edged a ball to the keeper Kedar Jadhav. RCB did not appeal, but the opener started walking away. Seeing this, the bowler Aniket Choudhary began appealing, and the umpire gave the batsman out.
2. KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya’s jersey switch
Exchanging jerseys is a common occurrence in football. This act shows that players hold mutual respect and admiration for the game. However, till then, cricket had not seen much of this action. Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul were the first cricketers to do this on the biggest stage.
After Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab met in one of the encounters in IPL 2018, KL and Hardik exchanged each other’s jerseys. While KL donned MI’s blue-and-gold attire, Hardik wore the KXIP jersey. This act was a special one as it signified that there is a lot more to cricket than just what happens on the field.
1. David Warner helps bowler in the middle of a run
This incident which occurred way back in 2017, stands at the top of our list. At the centre of this act was the Australian opener and SRH skipper David Warner. It was a game that was occurring against Gujarat Lions.
In his bowling run-up, Kerala pacer Basil Thampi lost his footwear. David Warner was completing a run, and he took time off this job to hand the shoe to Basil. In a game where competition is intense, this act of Warner brought many words of appreciation.
