The Indian T20 League 2023 kicked off with a heartwarming gesture from the Delhi team as they paid tribute to their missing player and skipper Rishabh Pant. The 25-year-old player met with a horrific accident in December 2022 while driving his car in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, and was subsequently ruled out of the entire ITL season.
Despite Pant’s absence, the Delhi team displayed their support and admiration for him by hanging his jersey in their dugout during their opening match against Lucknow at Ekana Stadium on Saturday. This act of solidarity certainly did not go unnoticed as fans flooded Twitter with messages of appreciation and well wishes for the recovering player.
As for the match, Lucknow posted an impressive total of 193/6 in the first innings, thanks to Kyle Mayers’ 73 off 38 balls, which included two fours and seven sixes. Although the rest of the batters struggled, Nicholas Pooran’s handy knock of 36 off 21 and Ayush Badoni’s quickfire 18 off just 7 balls, which included a four and two sixes, added to Lucknow’s total.
Overall, the opening match of ITL 2023 was a rollercoaster ride for fans, with the Delhi team displaying their support for Rishabh Pant and Lucknow posting a formidable total. It was a fitting start to what promises to be an exciting season of cricket.
Many fans however thought that the tribute was a bit too much since the player has been doing well now.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Meanwhile Rishabh : Smiling at the kind gesture shown by his franchise pic.twitter.com/1YEWI6mW9P
— ? (@SarcasticCowboy) April 1, 2023
Zinda hai wo abhi punter Saab ??
— Sutli (@sutli_bob) April 1, 2023
Bhai Zinda hai wo yaar ye kya sab tribute de raha ponting jabse aaya hai.??????
— Neal Gamby (Cric-tique) (@Mastikhorboi) April 1, 2023
Acha hua bata diya mughe laga pant hi latka hua hai
— Narwal ? (@negs154) April 1, 2023
This is too much, bhai abhi vo Zinda hai
— Mk (@he_persists) April 1, 2023
Cringe af
Zinda he bc vo ??— msdian (@msdian07ll) April 1, 2023
Esa lagrha he sookhne ko tang rakhi he..
— Priyanka (@Lostgirlprii) April 1, 2023
They need to chill he is alive ?????
— Manish ?? (@chauhan276) April 1, 2023
