Why Rohit Sharma performed lap of honour with Sri Lankan flag?
Published - 20 Mar 2018, 12:33 PM | Updated - 22 Aug 2024, 11:50 PM
The Nidahas Trophy is a triangular T20 tournament involving host Sri Lanka along with India and Bangladesh. The tournament witnessed many sparkling encounters and eventually, it was India who emerged victorious by defeating Bangladesh. And interim Men in Blue skipper Rohit Sharma has set a great example on the cricketing field.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh were on the verge of victory, before Dinesh Karthik’s blistering cameo took the game away from them. India defeated the Tigers by four wickets in a heart-racing thriller.
Batting first Bangladesh posted 166 on the board With Sabbir Rahman coming to the party. Mahmudullah and Mehidy Hasan provided some support at the end.
Meanwhile, India bowlers were brilliant in containing an in-form Bangladesh batting line-up. The spinning duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar claimed four wickets giving away only 38 runs.
In reply, Rohit Sharma gave India a solid start. Also, K Rahul and Manish Pandey scored some important runs in the middle.
However, it was Karthik’s quickfire knock at the end that sealed the match for India. Karthik announced his arrival with 22 runs of Rubel Hossain in the penultimate over. Further, a last-ball six off Soumya Sarkar completed the win for Rohit Sharma and Co.
Unfortunately, the event was marred by a few controversies, especially during the business end of the tournament. The must-win match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh descended into chaos following an umpire’s decision.
The drama unfolded in the last over when Mustafizur Rahman got out. Post the dismissal, a couple of Bangladesh substitutes got into a verbal fight with Thisara Perera. Apparently, the square leg umpire stretched his arm to signal a no-ball, but eventually, they deemed it as a legal delivery once Mustafizur got run out.
This raised temper in the Bangladesh dressing room and thus, Shakib was aghast owing to the decision before asking his batsmen to walk back to the dressing room.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday fined both Shakib and Nurul 25 percent of their match fee. They were also handed one demerit point each for their part in the brawl.
Meanwhile, this incident irked the Sri Lankan fans. Post the incident in the last group match, the crowd support went towards India along with Lankan media and social media.
Meanwhile, some Sri Lankan fans did Nagin dance in an attempt to mock the Bangladesh team.
The wonderful gesture by Rohit Sharma
Nevertheless, the series ended on an impressive note with a jaw-dropping final. The game wasn’t only filled with sterling performances, but also some heartfelt gestures by the Indian cricketers.
After the game, Rohit Sharma, the Indian skipper, took the Sri Lankan national flag and took a lap of honour in order to acknowledge the support of the local supporters.
Subsequently, the Mumbai cricketer earned accolades and respect from the Lankan fraternity. The Sri Lankan fans also extended their support to the Indian players. Some of them carried a banner which telecasted their admiration for the Indian cricketers and them support for Rohit Sharma’s men throughout the game.
They wrote “No more cobra dance. Cheer 4 India”.
The post-match celebration also saw a couple of Indian and Sri Lankan fans hugging each other, which is heartwarming, to see.
Sudhir Gautam, the ardent fan of Sachin Tendulkar and the Indian team, was lifted by a Sri Lankan fan, which highlighted the healthy relationship between the people from both the nations.
Meanwhile, this gesture will only strengthen the relationship between two countries in the coming days. Of the opinion, more of such gestures is the need of the hour as people have been spreading hate every moment.
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