Mumbai Indians' skipper Rohit Sharma and Krunal Pandya's actions during the team's IPL 2021 match against Punjab Kings on Tuesday evening has won over the internet with fans praising them for their fair-play gesture.
After Rohit won the toss and put Punjab into bat first, KL Rahul's side were at 38/1 with him and Chris Gayle at the crease. Gayle was batting on 1 when he punched a Krunal Pandya delivery straight down, only for the ball to connect with Rahul at the non-striker's end.
The Punjab fumbled to regain his balance as the ball ricochet off him towards Krunal Pandya who swung his arm to send the ball crashing into the stumps.
The all-rounder went up in appeal but skipper Rohit Sharma gestured for the appeal to be withdrawn.
The umpire was seen asking for a third-umpire referral when Pandya too asked for the appeal to be rescinded and the teams started to change ends for the next over.
Television replays showed Rahul giving Rohit the thumbs up for the sporting gesture.
KL Rahul and Chris Gayle both went onto lose their wickets in the very next over bowled by Kieron Pollard as the team was reduced to 46/3 in 7 overs. Rahul got out on a 21 off 22 deliveries while Gayle made one run off four deliveries.
Fans watching from their homes took to Twitter to praise Rohit and Krunal's gesture.
Punjab went onto post 135/6 in their 20 overs after the initial collapse that saw them reduced to 48/4 in 7.2 overs. Aiden Markram and Deepak Hooda led a fightback effort, adding 61 runs for the fifth wicket. Markram was the more strokeful of the two, crunching delightful boundaries through off-side. He took a liking to Trent Boult in the 15th over, driving and punching through cover on consecutive deliveries before Hooda sliced him over backward point. Boult gave Hooda a reprieve on 25, shelling a tough caught and bowled chance on the final ball of the over.
Rahul Chahar ended the partnership in the 16th over when Markram tried to sweep and rattled his off-stump. After Markram's dismissal, Mumbai kept Punjab on a tight leash in a display of immaculate death bowling as they finished at 135/6.
In reply, an unbeaten 40 from Hardik Pandya helped Mumbai Indians win their first match of the UAE leg of this IPL.
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