Kings XI Punjab hitter Mandeep Singh received massive praise on social media for his courage and commitment after he took the field against SunRisers Hyderabad on Saturday despite losing his father last night. The Punjab player suffered a massive personal loss as his father, who had been struggling with health problems for some time, died last night. Mandeep Singh entered the innings alongside side skipper KL Rahul, in the absence of regular starter Mayank Agarwal. Kings XI Punjab players paid tribute to their father by wearing black armbands. Mandeep couldn’t make the opportunity count and left in the fifth more of the inning, after scoring just 17 of 14 balls. However, his courage made him a hero on social media, where users praised his dedication to his duty.
Confirming the news on Twitter, Kings XI Punjab’s official Twitter user wrote: “Lost his father last night, but Mandy is here to open! Way to go Mandy.”
He lost his father last night, but Mandy is here to open!
Way to go, Mandy#SaddaPunjab # IPL2020 #KXIP #KXIPvSRH
– Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) October 24, 2020
Earlier in the day, Kolkata Knight Riders hitter Nitish Rana also took the field after losing his father-in-law on Friday and dedicated his game-defining hit to him. Rana teamed with Sunil Narine to add 115 runs for the fourth wicket with just 56 balls leading them to a 59-run win over Delhi Capitals.
Big hitter Sachin Tendulkar also took to Twitter to praise the commitment of the two players who played the game after a massive loss.
“The loss of a loved one hurts, but what is most heartbreaking is when you fail to say a final goodbye. Praying for @ mandeeps12, @ NitishRana_27 and their families to recover from this tragedy. Hats off for showing up today. Well played, “he wrote on the microblogging site.
The loss of a loved one hurts, but what is most heartbreaking is when you fail to say a final goodbye. Praying for @ mandeeps12, @ NitishRana_27 and their families to heal from this tragedy. Hats off for showing up today. Well played.
– Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) October 24, 2020
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
Mandeep Singh’s father passed away yesterday, but today he plays, I salute his engagement. pic.twitter.com/3PRS2dpQDg
– Shiv Bahadur Maurya (@ ShivBah89376481) October 24, 2020
MANDEEP SINGH
He lost his dad last night and he’s come out to open for his team tonight!
Is a champion
That is the life of an athlete!– Srini (@ Srini_94) October 24, 2020
Speaking of the game, KXIP put on a disappointing show with the bat, as they were only able to handle 126/7 in their 20 overs. Before this game, KXIP was very confident after three straight wins, but their hitters seemed in a bad mood when they took the field on Saturday.
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