Kings XI Punjab batsman Mandeep Singh overcame a personal tragedy to score a half-century game winner that helped his franchise register a comfortable win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday and enter the top half of the 2020 IPL points table. Mandeep, a couple of days after losing his father, opened the innings for KXIP against KKR and scored an undefeated 66 of 56 balls, guiding his team to their fifth consecutive victory. Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli, who shared the dressing room with him during his time at RCB, was very impressed by Mandeep’s courage and determination and congratulated him on playing a wonderful shot despite going through a difficult time.
Describing Mandeep as the “most genuinely happy cricketer”, the Indian captain, on his Instagram story, praised his “positive attitude” and wrote that his father must be blessing him from above.
“The most genuinely happy cricketer I know. Doing what you have done in this time of trial because of your faith in life and your positive attitude. Well played Shera. He is blessing you from above @ mandeeps12 Lion Hearted,” he wrote Virat Kohli on his Instagram story, while sharing a photo of Mandeep dedicating his fifties to his late father.
Virat Kohli praised Mandeep Singh for playing a valuable shot in the trial time
Photo Credit: Instagram
Kohli also went through a similar phase when his father died in 2006 after a heart attack, while playing a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi. Kohli was just 18 at the time and hitting 40 overnight and to the surprise of his teammates, he resumed his inning the next day and played a valuable 90-run hit to help Delhi avoid continuation.
In Monday’s clash, Mandeep found great company in Chris Gayle, whose explosive hitting eased the pressure on him, allowing him to take his time in the middle and build his innings.
The hard-hitting West Indian scored a quick 51 on just 29 balls, aided by five highs. Chasing 150 to win, Gayle and Mandeep made exactly 100 runs for the second wicket to put the game out of reach of their opponents.
Promoted
Kings XI Punjab, who once languished at the bottom of the table thanks to their fifth trotting win, have become one of the main contenders to finish in the top four and qualify for the playoffs.
Virat Kohli’s RCB is currently third in the eight-team table, having accumulated 14 points from 12 matches, as are the two teams ahead of the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals, and they only manage one victory. to qualify for the knockout phase.
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