Kings XI Punjab Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul Exchanged Jersey after the clash. Credit : Twitter

In a wonderful gesture, Mumbai Indian (MI) all-rounder Hardik Pandya and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) opener KL Rahul exchanged their jerseys after Mumbai defeated Punjab by three runs at the Wankhede Stadium.

Batting first, Mumbai got off to a flier, courtesy inform Suryakumar Yadav. However, a brilliant spell from Andrew Tye reduced Mumbai to 71 for four in the ninth over.

Since then, Kieron Pollard (50) started to rebuild the inning partnering Krunal Pandya (32). The pair added 65 runs, as Mumbai posted a challenging total against a devastating batting order.

In reply, however, Punjab lost their Windies superstar Chris Gayle (18) early at the score of 34 runs. Since then KL Rahul (94) and Aaron Finch added 111 runs for the second wicket to take their innings closer to the victory.

Kieron Pollard Mumbai Indians IPL 2018
Photo by: Faheem Hussain /SPORTZPICS for BCCI

Meanwhile, some brilliant bowling by Jasprit Bumrah (three for 15) brought back the host in the game. Moreover the Kiwi seamer, Mitchell McClenaghan defended 17 runs off the last to bring two crucial points. As a result, Mumbai jumps up to the fourth spot with 12 points from 13 games with a healthy run-rate.

Pandya-Rahul exchange jerseys

After a heart-breaking loss, Rahul showed a beautiful gesture towards his India teammate. Both Pandya and Rahul came together to exchange their jerseys. While Pandya donned the Punjab jersey, Rahul wore the Mumbai colours.

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Meanwhile, it is a common trend in football and it was good to see the same in cricket as well.

Interestingly, after the 2014 IPL final, Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan had done a similar gesture. After Punjab lost the finale, he donned the Punjab jersey as a gesture for his friend and owner of the franchise Preity Zinta. SRK’s sportsmanship was appreciated back then.

Here is how the Twitter reacted:

https://twitter.com/BleedBlueForeva/status/996823296556519424

https://twitter.com/prashan23S/status/996824768656556032

Also read: Sandeep Lamichhane excited to play at Lords again

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