29 September,2020 07:05 AM IST | Mumbai | Bipin Dani
The above screengrab shows Kings XI Punjab's Nicholas Pooran diving to save a six off Rajasthan Royals' Sanju Samson on Sunday
It's five years since West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran met with a car accident in Trinidad and had to undergo major surgeries on both legs within a span of one week. "You can't play cricket," the doctors told him. But Pooran didn't lose hope. He returned to the cricket field, earned a reputation of a highly talented batsman and on Sunday, representing Kings XI Punjab, he defied the laws of gravity to deny Rajasthan Royals' in-form batsman Sanju Samson a well-deserved six.
Pooran's teammates, commentators and viewers were mighty impressed and one, who answers to the name of Sachin Tendulkar, was in disbelief too. "This is the best save I have seen in my life. Simply incredible!!," Tendulkar tweeted.
"It was beyond imagination", said his dad Lawrence from Trinidad. "Yes, I was watching the match and his fielding can easily be compared with Jonty Rhodes [KXIP's fielding coach]. The credit for this superb piece of fielding goes to his hard work, dedication, diet, sacrifice and discipline," Pooran Sr added.
Pooran, who will turn 25 on Friday, made a full-stretched dive while hanging in the air as he held on to the ball before throwing it back outside the boundary line to prevent Samson from getting a six. And Rhodes in the dugout could only bow to the young gun in admiration.
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